Pride Month: What’s Happened and Where We Are Now
An Introduction To “Pride”
Since 1970, each annual month of June has been dedicated to celebrating the LGBTQIA+ Pride Month.
Pride Month is known to be an alluring, entirely picturesque time of the year. There are vast rainbow parades, bold marches, and parties lining the streets like confetti. It is a time to commemorate one’s self-acceptance, self-love, and own unique diversity.
Even former presidents, such as Bill Clinton and Barack Obama have recognized the celebration of Pride Month during their time in office.
A Symbolic Approach To Pride
The acronym “LGBTQIA+” stands for “lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual”, and it also includes other identities such as pansexual, non-binary, and more.
The month of Pride is known for the iconic rainbow flag which has been a symbol for this diverse community since 1978 when Gilbert Baker, a gay rights activist, created it. Baker said the colors stood for different things — red for life, orange for healing, yellow for sunlight, green for nature, blue for harmony, and purple for spirit.
However, the beginning of what we now know as Pride Month was anything by glorious.
The Beginning…
At 1:20 AM on June 28, 1969, eight policemen raided Stonewall Inn, one of the biggest gay clubs in the U.S. at the time, located in the small town of Greenwich, New York. They claimed it was a “disorderly environment” and forced everyone outside to wait for the patrol wagons, which took much longer than usual.
The crowd of bystanders and Stonewall Inn patrons slowly grew, all of them waiting anxiously to see what was about to happen. The crowd finally erupted when police began hurting a woman dressed in masculine clothing named Stormé DeLarverie, who was complaining that her handcuffs were too tight. People began yelling vigorously at the officers and calling them names. Some even took to slash the tires of police cars.
The Pioneers of Pride
Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, two transgender women of color, were said to have resisted arrest and hurled the first bottle, stone, or brick (people aren’t sure which one it was) at the cops, sparking the next six nights of rioting. These two women were the first transgender people of color to get statues in their honor due to their contribution to the LGBTQIA+ movement before, during, as well as after the Stonewall riots.
During the third hour on the first night of rioting, NYPD cops were forced to barricade inside the Stonewall Inn. However, the protestors were still going strong. They threw trash, bottles, bricks, and whatever they could find at them. Some rioters used parking meters to ram the doors of the Stonewall Inn. They even created firebombs using bottles, matches, and lighter fluid!
The next day, the Stonewall Inn opened again despite being raided by the police. Crowds showed up chanting slogans of pride such as “Gay Power” or “We Shall Overcome.” The police came in larger numbers and tear-gassed the protestors. This continued on for the next few nights.
On July 2, 1969, activists began protesting outside newspaper offices instead of at the Stonewall Inn because of their coverage on the protests. Protestors had been wanting newspaper coverage of the movement, but the reporters had unapologetically referred to them with horrible homophobic slurs and had painted them in a horrendous light in the media.
The most intense riots were on the first and last nights. 500–600 people were at the first riot and 2000 people were at the second riot. The fourth and fifth nights were relatively quiet, but on the sixth night, 500–1000 people showed up!
A Year Later…
June 28, 1970, marked the first Gay Pride parade set off from Stonewall Inn. Different parts of the country called it different things, but they all had the unified same idea. In New York, it was known as “Christopher Street Liberation Day” (as Stonewall Inn was located on Christopher Street). In Los Angeles and San Francisco, it was called the “Gay Freedom Day”, with the marches being known as Gay Freedom Marches. In Chicago, it was commemorated as “Gay Pride Week.”
The riots at Stonewall Inn were not the first display of LGBTQIA+ activism and protests, and they certainly were not the last. LGBTQIA+ groups have been organizing and coming into formation since at least the 1920s, and their numbers continue to grow exponentially each and every year. We still see the effects of the Stonewall riots through protests and movements demanding equality and justice for members of the LGBTQIA+ community today.
LGBTQIA+ Discrimination Today
In 1969, it was illegal to engage in any homosexual acts in all states except for Illinois. A group of LGBTQIA+ people was considered “disorderly” and “unruly.”
We have come a long way from then, but we still have a long way to go.
A study found that 40% of all homeless youth identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ community. In 27 states, there are absolutely no laws protecting people from discrimination based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.
According to HRC, 42% of LGBTQIA+ youth say they live in an unaccepting environment and that LGBTQIA+ youth are twice as likely to be assaulted or bullied in school. The HRC also states that 92% of LGBTQIA+ people report seeing negative messages about themselves and their community.
Along with these statistics, LGBTQIA+ people personally face discrimination on a day-to-day basis, from subtle passive-aggressive actions against them— such as some people in public weirdly and inventively staring at them — to blatant rudeness, like calling people out for holding hands or “dressing weird.”
Gay is not an insult. Gay is not a synonym for “stupid.”
What Can We Do?
As a society, there are many things we can do to stand up for LGBTQIA+ rights. Let’s not forget, LGBTQIA+ rights are human rights.
An LGBTQIA+ ally is someone who is not part of the community, but who still supports equal civil rights, gender equality, and LGBTQIA+ movements. They challenge homophobia, biphobia, and transphobia. Allies can attend parades and show their support for the community in various ways.
So How Can You Be A “Good” Ally?
Here are a few steps to becoming an LGBTQIA+ ally and supporter.
- Educate yourself!
It’s okay to ask questions as long as you are respectful and keep an open mind. You can watch movies and read books about the lives of LGBTQIA+ people to learn about their stories. With your knowledge, you can educate others as well!
2. Use someone’s preferred pronouns.
Coming out to people is not always easy, and using someone’s preferred pronouns can help make them feel accepted and comfortable.
3. Don’t out people.
If someone comes out to you, don’t go around telling everyone else. It’s their story to share, not yours. It could also be unsafe for them to come out to everyone, so keep their trust and don’t go around telling people.
4. Speak up against prejudice.
Attend parades and marches or post on social media in support of the LGBTQIA+ community. Talk to your friends and family and start conversations about the topic, even if it makes them uncomfortable. You can also call out subtle inequalities when you see them.
5. Remember, we are all here to support one another!
Let your actions speak for themselves and show people that you’re a great ally. Pride Month is all about the LGBTQIA+ community.
There are many other things you can do as well! Sometimes, the smallest gestures make the biggest difference.
Happy Pride Month!
Sources
ABC News: https://abcnews.go.com/US/lgbt-pride-month-2020-history-events-parades/story?id=71017699
Insider: https://www.insider.com/stonewall-history-what-happened-during-riots-lgbt-2019-6
CNN: https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/26/us/marsha-p-johnson-biography/index.html
CNN: https://www.cnn.com/2018/06/22/health/lgbt-how-to-be-an-ally-trnd/index.html
History: https://www.history.com/news/stonewall-riots-timeline
Freedom for All Americans: https://www.freedomforallamericans.org/states/
HRC: https://www.hrc.org/youth-report/view-and-share-statistics
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