June is Gay Pride Month, also called Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (LGBTQ) Pride Month in recognition of the long struggle of LGBTQ individuals for the basic rights of citizenship. It takes place in June in honor of the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan. This uprising was not the beginning, but it was a tipping point of the Gay Liberation Movement in the US.
During June there will be exciting and uplifting parades and celebrations in the US and elsewhere in the world commemorating the years of struggle for civil rights and the ongoing pursuit of equal justice under the law. The parades and other events also serve to appreciate and celebrate the accomplishments of LGBTQ individuals. Let’s take a look at the timeline and progress.
Discrimination
The pursuit for Gay Rights goes back to 1924 when the Society of Human Rights was organized, founded in Chicago. It is the oldest documented gay rights organization in the US. The founder, Henry Gerber had served in the Army and was stationed in Germany. In Germany there was an open gay community. When he came home, he wanted to replicate it here. He faced threats and was arrested. He fought an uphill battle, and never gave up. In 2015 his house was declared a National Historic Landmark – Henry Gerber House.
Uprising
The next very significant even took place in Greenwich Village in New York City. The location was a place for young members of the LGBTQ community called the Stonewall Inn. The community was accustomed to being harassed by the police, but on this occasion, when the police began arresting employees for selling liquor without a license and roughing up the patrons there was resistance. A crowd gathered and jeered and threw coins, bottles and debris at the police. The police barricaded themselves in the bar to wait for backup and soon the crowd began rioting. Police forces dispersed the crowd but the rioters came back, off and on, outside the bar for five days. These riots came to be called the Stonewall Uprising, or Stonewall riots. This event ignited the LGBTQ movement.
Marching
A march took place in New York to commemorate the anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising in June, 1970 that took the movement significantly forward. The idea to hold the march was discussed first at the Eastern Regional Conference of Homophile Organizations in Philadelphia. Members proposed “gay power” as the slogan but the final decision was to express pride in their sexual identity and use “gay pride” as their slogan. Estimates of the number of people who marched went from 1,000 to 20,000. At the start there were a few hundred, but by the time the march ended many more people had joined in solidarity. The marchers chanted “Say it clear, say it loud. Gay is good, gay is proud.”
Recognition
Recognition was finally achieved in 1999 but it took a lot of effort to get there. The country’s first weeklong event and march commemorating Stonewall took place a year after the uprising in Chicago. Another event took place on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles that was the world’s first permitted parade advocating for gay rights. A third significant event, called a “Gay In” took place in San Francisco. These marches and events in June came to be celebrated yearly and were focused on fun, celebration and Pride. LGBTQ Pride came to be celebrated on the last Sunday in June, but official recognition did not come until June of 1999 when President Bill Clinton declared June “Gay and Lesbian Pride Month.” “The name changed to “LGBT Pride Month” when President Obama proclaimed the new name. It was changed once again to “Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Pride Month” (LGBTQ) by President Biden.
Marriage Equality
After years of marching, struggling, petitioning and fighting for equality, for civil rights and human rights, the US Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in all 50 states. The year was 2015, June 26. As you can see, it took 90 years to achieve these rights. This was a monumental decision for the LGBTQ community, as it was a long time coming. The ruling meant that in all 50 states same-sex marriages must be allowed with the couples having all of the rights that the law gives to married couples.
We found a list of eight ways to celebrate LGBTQ Pride in June at Naturespath.com, and we’d like to share these suggestions with readers.
- DONATE TO LGBTQ ORGANIZATIONS
- ATTEND A PRIDE PARADE
- PURCHASE FROM A BUSINESS THAT IS LGTBQ OWNED OR ACTIVELY SUPPORTS LGBTQ CAUSES
- SHARE YOUR FAVORITE LGBTQ ART AND MUSIC
- DISCOVER NEW LGBTQ FILMS, TV SHOWS AND LITERATURE
- STUDY THE HISTORY OF PRIDE
- BE SUPPORTIVE
- PLAN A PRIDE EVENT
AMS Fulfillment is a B Corporation, dedicated to a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion. We welcome and appreciate all of our employees, clients and friends regardless of their sexuality, gender, religion or race. Help us celebrate this month by remembering the long, hard struggle for civil and human rights and recognizing that we still have a way to go to create the world we want to see! Happy LGBTQ Pride Month.
