For over fifty years, Pride Month has taken on immense meaning around the world. Which events are celebrated, when they’re celebrated, the language used to describe them, and just about every aspect is ever-evolving. To understand how we got to the modern parade of rainbow floats, we have to go back to the beginning. Read on to learn more about the beginnings of Pride in the United States including why it’s observed in June, how the pandemic has impacted the celebration, and how you can support it this year. A German immigrant founded the first queer rights group in the U.S. in 1924. Other larger, more active groups began in the 1950s, like the Mattachine Society in 1951 and the Daughters of Bilitis in 1955. These and other groups started carrying out public actions for gay and lesbian rights in the 1960s, like marching in picket lines with pro-gay hand-lettered signs. The Stonewall Inn is still a queer bar operating in its original location today. In 2016, the Stonewall National Monument became the first-ever U.S. National Monument dedicated to the LGBTQ+ community’s history. The marches grew each year, but fighting within the LGBTQ+ community complicated who these marches “belonged” to. At the 1973 New York City rally, Sylvia Rivera, a prominent trans activist who was a Stonewall rioter, was physically kept from the stage and booed when she spoke about trans rights. White gay men had much of the power in the movement’s organizations and marches, despite trans women of color being some of the important leaders of the Stonewall Rebellion. In 1978, the first rainbow flag was unveiled at the San Francisco Gay Freedom Day Parade. Rainbow flags became a common sight at the events each year after that, as liberation marches evolved into Pride parades. The involvement of police at Pride is another point of contention. Given that the Stonewall Rebellion was an uprising against police harassment, the large and visible police presence at Pride is controversial. This year, New York City’s Pride has decided to ban uniformed police from marching in their parade. A positive way for allies to honor Pride is to show support for the community through a donation to an LGBTQ+ cause, such as:
Family Equality (advocacy and resources for LGBTQ+ families) GLSEN (resources for LGBTQ+ K-12 students) Immigration Equality (advocacy and resources for LGBTQ+ immigrants) Lambda Legal (litigation for LGBTQ+ equality) LGBTQ Freedom Fund (bail fund for LGBTQ+ incarcerated people) National Center for Lesbian Rights (advocacy and resources for LGBTQ+ rights) National LGBTQ Task Force (advocacy and resources for LGBTQ+ rights) Sylvia Rivera Law Project (legal assistance for trans people) The Marsha P. Johnson Institute (advocacy for Black trans people) The Okra Project (home-made meals for Black trans people) The Trevor Project (suicide prevention services for LGBTQ+ youth) Trans Lifeline (peer support for trans people) Transgender Law Center (legal assistance for trans people)
