Pride Month.
the meaning...
Pride Month is celebrated every June to honor the 1969 Stonewall uprising in New York City. Every June LGBTQ+ and supporters dust off rainbow flags and join in the fun celebrations. Pride celebrations take a variety of forms, from parades to parties to protests and proms. Since the start of the modern LGBTQ+ liberation movement in the 1970s, hundreds of independent Pride events have sprung up in cities worldwide, each distinctly local and generally tied in some way to the foundational Stonewall Riots in June. Pride Month is largely credited as being started by bisexual activist Brenda Howard. Known as ‘The Mother of Pride,’ Brenda organized 'Gay Pride Week' and the 'Christopher Street Liberation Day Parade' a year after the Stonewall Riots. Pride Month is for everyone to embrace who they are and let the world know in style, to celebrate acceptance, also shines a light on LGBTQ+ issues. The rainbow aptly signifies the colorful activities and flavors of this month-long celebration. Commemorations and memorials are also held for members of the community who have lost their lives to hate crimes and HIV/AIDS. The rainbow flag, it was actually gay politician Harvey Milk who asked a talented designer friend, Gilbert Baker, to design an all encompassing symbol to take to San Francisco, CA's Pride March in 1978.
Stonewall.
the history...
In June of 1969, patrons and supporters of the Stonewall Inn (a gay club in Greenwich Village, NYC) staged an uprising to resist the police harassment and persecution to which LGBTQ+ Americans were commonly subjected. It started with a police raid on a hot summer night in Greenwich Village, New York City June of 1969. Police stormed the Stonewall Inn arresting patrons and forcing them into waiting police vehicles. But a nearby crowd grew restless and angry, and eventually someone (there’s debate over who) started whipping onlookers into fighting back. They pelted the police, forcing them to retreat, and aggressive street confrontations continued over the next few nights, lasted six days and marked the beginning of the LGBTQ+ equal rights movement. People stood up against police harassment that led to the creation of what we know as 'Pride' today. Following the Stonewall Riots, organizers wanted to build on that spirit of resistance . The following year June 28, 1970 they marched to Central Park and down Christopher Street, and adopted the theme of “Gay Pride” as a counterpoint to the prevailing attitude of shame and gay pride marches were held across the country in Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and in other major cities across the country. Before Stonewall, there was a riot in Los Angeles, CA at Cooper Do-Nuts, and in San Francisco, CA at Compton’s Cafeteria. But Stonewall is definitely the more well-known, and led to the creation of 'Pride' today.
Below are leads to some great products and resources celebrating Pride Month.
