A Brief History of LGBT Pride Month

LGBT Pride Month is celebrated every June in the United States to honor the Stonewall Uprising of 1969.

The Stonewall Uprising occurred when police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in New York City’s Greenwich Village. Patrons and residents of the Village resisted and clashed with police in a series of violent confrontations that lasted several days.

The Stonewall Uprising is widely seen as the pivotal event that sparked the modern LGBT rights movement. After years of oppression, LGBT people finally stood up to demand respect, equality and fair treatment under the law.

LGBT Pride Month commemorates the anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising and celebrates the progress and struggles of the LGBT community over the past 50+ years. Events during Pride Month include pride parades, flag raising ceremonies, concerts, political teach-ins and festivals.

The goals of LGBT Pride Month remain to raise awareness of the discrimination LGBT people still face, to call for equal rights and protections, and to commemorate those who came before to make progress possible through protest and activism.

In summary, LGBT Pride Month honors the anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising, a tipping point in history that sparked the modern LGBT rights movement and the fight for equal rights. During Pride Month, the LGBT community comes together to celebrate identity, culture and a legacy of protest that continues today.

Two Key LGBT activists in the 1970s

Marsha P. Johnson

• Marsha P. Johnson was a prominent gay liberation activist and drag queen.

• Johnson was present at the Stonewall Uprising of 1969, which is seen as the beginning of the modern LGBT rights movement.

• After Stonewall, Marsha helped found the activist group Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR) to support homeless LGBT youth in New York City.

• Marsha advocated passionately for transgender rights, challenging discrimination and hate crimes against the trans community.

• Johnson is credited with coining the phrase “pay it no mind” to encourage LGBT people to ignore stigma and prejudice.

• Though Johnson’s impact was profound, Marsha struggled with homelessness, drug use and mental health issues for much of Johnson’s life.

• Marsha died under mysterious circumstances in 1992. Johnson’s legacy and contributions to the early LGBT movement have been recognized posthumously.

Harvey Milk

• Harvey Milk was the first openly gay elected official in California, serving on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors from 1977 to 1978.

• Harvey fought to pass some of the earliest gay rights laws in the country, including a landmark anti-discrimination law in San Francisco.

• He mentored a new generation of LGBT political activists and made LGBT politicians believe that openly gay candidates could be elected to public office.

• Harvey was assassinated, along with San Francisco mayor George Moscone, by another city supervisor in 1978.

• Harvey’s life and work, depicted in the film Milk, helped inspire the LGBT rights movement for years to come.

Marsha P. Johnson and Harvey Milk were pioneering leaders in the early LGBT rights movement of the 1970s. Though they faced discrimination, violence and tragedy, their activism, passion and tenacity helped pave the way for future progress.

Today, during LGBT Pride Month, we honor their memory and celebrate how far we’ve come. But we also recognize there is still work to be done to achieve full equality and justice.

Marsha and Harvey’s contributions live on through

• The increased visibility and acceptance of LGBT people in society, enabled by the foundation they helped build.

• The example they set for future generations of activists who continue to press for change.

• The inspiration of their courage and unapologetic advocacy, which sparks new voices to speak out against injustice.

• The political and societal awakening they helped cause, influencing history in ways that still have ripple effects today.

During Pride Month, as we educate ourselves on the history of the LGBT movement, we should remember

• Marsha and Harvey would want us to celebrate how far we’ve come.

• But they would also challenge us to keep raising our voices until full equality is achieved.

• Their struggle continues through each new generation that carries on the work of making society more just, loving and inclusive for all people.

In honoring Marsha and Harvey, we rededicate ourselves to the ideals of dignity, respect and human rights that they fought for. And we resolve to build upon – not rest upon – the foundation they helped create.

The activism and celebrations of Pride Month

While Pride Month began as a commemoration of the Stonewall Uprising and a call to action to continue fighting for LGBT rights, it has grown to encompass much more. Today Pride Month is a time to not only raise awareness of LGBT issues but also celebrate how far the LGBT movement has come.

Pride parades, drag shows, music festivals and other celebrations joyfully mark the occasion across the U.S.

These events allow LGBT people and allies to come together openly and publicly, something that wasn’t always possible in the past. Showcase and take pride in LGBT identity, history, culture and accomplishments. Help normalize and spread greater social acceptance of LGBT individuals and communities. Provide funding and positive publicity for LGBT advocacy organizations continuing to push for change.

Pride fashion

Pride fashion is an integral part of celebrations during Pride Month. Rainbow clothing, accessories, costumes and other outfit choices allow LGBT people and allies to creatively express their identities and solidarity in a joyful way. The result is a carnivalesque diversity of Pride fashion on full display: from rainbow tutus to drag queen cosplay to statement tees to sequined crop tops and everything in between.

In short, Pride fashion brings rainbow flair and festive vibrancy to Pride Month celebrations while also furthering goals of self-love, community and visibility. Outlandish outfits and accessories perfectly complement – and sometimes drive – the spirit of joyful protest.