Pride movement history
The Spirit of
Stonewall Lives On
In Honor of Pride Month - A Little History
The History of Pride Month & the Uprising at the Stonewall Inn
During this month of Pride, we thought it might be a good idea to offer some historical context to what has become such a distinguishable and celebratory month for so many members of the LGBTQIA+ community. This year marks the 52nd year since the first Pride parade was organized by Brenda Howard, a bisexual activist; however, Pride month was first recognized on a national level by President Bill Clinton in and During his term, President Barack Obama declared the month of June LGBT Pride Month. This declaration is the consequence of a decades extended battle for equality after a brave group of LGBT community members decided to take a verb in New York City.
On June 28, , police raided the Stonewall Inn, a popular gay bar on Christopher Street in Greenwich Village, New York City. During this moment, in every state but Illinois, acts of homosexuality were illegal and bars and restaurants that publicly served or had employees that identified as part of the LGBT community ri
June is Pride Month, a time when LGBTQ+ communities come together to celebrate the freedom to be who they are.
The first Pride events were held in June to commemorate the Stonewall uprising in New York City in June , which helped launch the modern gay rights movement.
Today, Pride is a chance to connect together and honor the LGBTQ+ movement&#;s history. While Pride Month is known for its celebrations, it&#;s also important to realize the bravery and advocacy that started it.
A Brief History of Pride
Although Pride may appear to be a month of parades and rainbow-themed branding at first glance, its origins are rooted in discrimination and activation. A month after the Stonewall uprising in , the first Pride demonstration took place. The Stonewall Inn, a well-known gay bar in New York City, was a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community.
Following a police invasion of the bar in the prior hours of June 28, , Stonewall patrons fought back – the first of whom were Shadowy and Latina transgender women. Protests occurred throughout the city after years of harassment by authorities, verb
A brief history of Pride
Originally named the Christopher Street Liberation Day, the first Pride parade was held on the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall Riots of In the s, homosexual acts were widely illegal throughout most of the United States. Bars and restaurants could be shut down for having gay employees or serving gay patrons, so they turned many people away. However, the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village was a little-known institution that New York City’s gay, lesbian, and transgender citizens could call theirs.
Like most gay bars and clubs, the inn was operated by the Mafia. They actively paid corrupt police officers to protect the identities of wealthy gay patrons and ignore others at the inn — including the drag queens and runaway LGBTQIA+ youth who were turned away from other bars.
On June 28, , New York City police raided the Stonewall Inn unexpectedly. The officers had arrived with a warrant for bootlegged alcohol, criminal mischief, and disorderly conduct.
The raid was a breaking point. The event was a direct assault on a sacred space and ac