LGBTQ+ Pride Month (also known as Pride Month for short) officially began on Saturday, but how much do you know about the annual month-long celebration of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender pride?
First of all, Pride Month began 54 years ago in June 1970 with Gay Pride Week, a celebration marking the first anniversary of the violent attack at the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in New York City.
The riots of June 28, 1969 consisted of a series of spontaneous violent demonstrations against police raids on bars in Greenwich Village. The Stonewall riots are considered the beginning of the gay rights movement in the United States, when members of the gay community began fighting back against persecution.
The first Pride Week saw marches in the four largest US cities: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco, and it has continued to grow since then.
Here’s what else you need to know about Pride Month:
What does Pride Month mean to you?
Pride month aims to not only preach and advocate for acceptance and equality, but also celebrate the activism of LGBTQ+ people, educate on the community’s history, and raise awareness of issues that affect the LGBTQ+ community.
It’s also a celebration of LGBTQ culture and seeks to elevate LGBTQ voices, but it may mean different things to different people.
It commemorates the LGBTQ+ community’s long-standing struggle for civil rights and the continued pursuit of equal justice under the law for LGBTQ+ people.
What is a Pride Parade?
Pride parades, also known as pride events, pride festivals, pride marches and pride protests, are one way to celebrate Pride Month.
These events, which take place mainly in the Western world, can double as demonstrations for legal rights such as same-sex marriage and transgender rights, but they are also often celebrations and filled with pride in being part of a community.
The event has expanded internationally.
In 2019, to commemorate 50 years since the Stonewall Riots, New York City held its largest Pride parade ever, with an estimated 5 million people attending in Manhattan alone, called “Stonewall 50 – World Pride NYC 2019.”
That first march was serious yet fun, and it helped inspire the growth of the LGBTQ movement.
Notable pride parades include Asia’s largest LGBT pride event held in Tel Aviv, Israel, which attracts over 260,000 participants each year, as well as Germany’s Berlin Pride Parade, Cologne Pride Parade and Paris Pride Parade, which holds an annual gay pride parade in the French capital.
Who created Pride Month?
Forty-five years after the first Pride Week celebration, President Bill Clinton proclaimed June as Gay and Lesbian Pride Month, making it officially recognized in the U.S. In 2009, President Barack Obama expanded on this, declaring June as LGBT Pride Month.
Why is June 28th Pride Day?
As part of Pride Month, International LGBT+ Pride Day is celebrated on June 28th, the date the Stonewall riots took place.
What does the rainbow flag mean?
The original rainbow pride flag was created by artist Gilbert Baker, an openly gay military veteran and activist, in 1978. Harvey Milk, a key historical figure in the fight for LGBTQ rights, commissioned him to create a symbol of gay pride.
The flag has since expanded to include other community members, representing the diversity of the LGBTQIA+ community, and in more recent years has been changed to represent the intersex and asexual communities, and Two-Spirit people.
Baker was inspired by the song “Over the Rainbow” from the movie “The Wizard of Oz.” What each color means.
The meanings of the flag’s colors are as follows:
- Hot pink: represents sex
- Red: Symbolizes life
- Orange: Represents healing
- Yellow: Sunlight
- Green: Represents nature
- Turquoise: Symbolizes magic and art
- Indigo: Represents peace
- Purple: Represents the spirit of LGBTQ+ people
What is the difference between Pride Month and LGBTQ Month?
While Pride Month takes place every June, LGBT History Month takes place in October and celebrates the achievements of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender icons. LGBTQ History Month Website Administrator Equality Forum.
What will be the theme of Pride Month in 2024?
“Reflect. Empower. Unite” was announced as the official theme for New York City Pride. However, each parade has a different theme. For example:
- Washington DC: “It’s completely extreme.”
- Los Angeles: “There’s power in pride.”
- San Francisco: “Lighthouse of Love”
- new york: “Reflect. Empower. Unite.”
