LGBTQ+ PRIDE 101
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer+ (LGBTQ+) Pride Month is recognized annually in June to commemorate the Stonewall Riots. They began on June 28, 1969 when the NYPD raided the Stonewall Inn, a bar in Greenwich Village known for catering to LGBTQ+ patrons.
One year later in June of 1970, community organizers held the first gay Pride marches in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago to commemorate the events of Stonewall and march for equal rights. Since then, annual LGBTQ+ Pride events have taken place in cities across the U.S. and around the world, most commonly in June.
While most Pride events today include festivals, parades and celebratory activities, it’s important to understand and acknowledge the history of Pride and its roots in community activism that still remain an important element of Pride today.