Pride Culture

You may know Pride Month as a month-long celebration of the LGBTQ* community, complete with rainbow flags, parades, protests, and parties. But Pride, as we know it now, was (and still is) a hard-fought battle, as the LGBTQ* community has been subjected to harassment and discrimination for decades. As we take a look back at the history of the LGBTQ* movement, it’s important to honor and recognize everything the LGBTQ* community has fought for and achieved to be able to celebrate who they are free of violence and discrimination. As we celebrate LGBTQ* Pride Month, want to take a look back at some of the most significant historical dates and facts, share key statistics, and recognize the achievements of the LGBTQ* community. The Pride we know today was born of the Stonewall Riot that took place at the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village in 1969, where Marsha P. Johnson and other gay activists fought back against police raids of gay, lesbian, and transgender establishments. One year after the initial uprising, it was ruled a march could be held in New York City to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising. Their proposal was for an annual march on the last Saturday in June - what eventually became known as LGBTQ Pride Day - which was to be celebrated with “no dress or age regulations.” The official chant of Pride became: “Say it loud, gay is proud.” Pride was celebrated as a single day in the early days, but it wasn’t long before it evolved into the month-long celebration we know today. Though there was an LGBTQ* movement in the US that predated the Stonewall Riots, that first parade sparked the beginning of a recognized international movement to outlaw discriminatory laws and practices against the LBGTQ* community.