Why Do We Celebrate LGBTQ+ Pride Month?

We celebrate Pride Month in the United States to observe the Stonewall riots, which took place at the end of June 1969. Because of these riots, we dedicate the month of June to celebrating with different PRIDE events!

The Stonewall riots were a huge turning point for the LGBTQ+ movement as it sparked more LGBTQ+ organizations to form, more LGBTQ+ dedicated newspapers, and important conversations surrounding the community.

• We celebrate PRIDE to publicly honor, remember, and acknowledge those who have had to hide their LGBTQIA+ identity.
• We celebrate PRIDE to celebrate who we are!
• We celebrate PRIDE to uplift LGBTQ+ voices, celebrate and embrace LGBTQ+ culture, and support LGBTQ+ rights!
• We celebrate to fight for equal justice, equity, and opportunity for the LGBTQ+ community!

Marsha P. Johnson: On June 28, 1969, at the Stonewall Inn of NYC, things turned violent after a few LGBTQ+ people were arrested on questionable charges, handcuffed, and shoved into police cars. The LGBTQ+ community was fed up with being targeted by the police and seeing these arrests incited rioting that spilled over into the neighboring streets and lasted several days. Marsha P. Johnson was an African American transgender woman and revolutionary LGBTQ+ rights activist. She is rumored to have thrown the first brick that ignited the Stonewall riots of 1969.

Marsha was an outspoken advocate for trans women of color, and she co-founded the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR) alongside her friend Sylvia Rivera. STAR provided services and shelter to homeless LGBTQ+ people throughout NYC, Chicago, California, and England in the early 1970’s.

Marsha’s major contributions were often overlooked as the movement started shifting toward the leadership of white cisgender men and women, but it’s important to recognize just how important, influential, and incredible Marsha’s activism was. We wouldn’t be where we are today without her. One year from when Marsha P. Johnson is said to have thrown the first brick at Stonewall, the first Pride parade took place on its anniversary, and, the next day, Pride events and marches took place on the West Coast.

Reference: https://www.nytimes.com/article/juneteenth-celebration-history.html

About the author:
Hi, my name is Katarina, but please feel free to call me Kat or Rin! My pronouns are she/her! My work resides in both healthcare and advocacy. As a former youth with lived experience, one of my biggest goals is to uplift youth voices within the child welfare system and influence policy to reflect better outcomes for youth in care. A lot of my passions surround everything related to the art of storytelling! I love acting, singing, writing, and reading in my spare time. I sing, play the guitar, and play the piano by ear.