Pride Month

Pride Month is considered to be an important holiday, one that details the history of the LGBT community finding acceptance in the world. While it’s more widely accepted today than ever before, history is able to tell long stories of why this was not the case for a very long time. Pride Month is a time for each individual to be proud of who they are and the unique offerings they have to bring to the world. So, read on to learn about the LGBTQ+ community and how just about anyone who wants to can find a variety of ways to enjoy and celebrate Pride Month.

History of Pride Month

The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month, or just Pride Month for short, is an holiday that is celebrated each year in the month of June. This special time was intentionally set in June to commemorate the Stonewall riots of 1968 in Manhattan, New York in the US. While during the 1950’s and 60’s, the concept of being gay was not often spoken of or publicly expressed due to the pressure of American society and the social norms that viewed being gay as a taboo and a mental disorder, there was a population of people who did not believe in oppressing these rights. And they stood against the government because of it.

At the tip of the iceberg, when the Stonewall Inn located in New York City started being raided by police because it was a gay bar, people started retaliating against police in defense of the gay bar and their believed right to be gay in the world. This is an example of a grass roots uprising that took place over the length of 6 days and was the beginning of many people, who had previously been quiet, starting to stand up for their cause.

Support for LGBTQ+ pride has since been growing steadily over the past few decades, even when the LGBTQ+ lifestyle was considered taboo during the 1970’s and 80’s. As more people started backing up the movement and people started understanding what being gay meant, Pride Month then started becoming a more popular concept during the 1990’s and 2000’s.

Multiple holidays arose out of the LGBTQ+ movement, and Pride Month has become one of the biggest celebrations all over the United States, with its main center of action in New York City. In NYC, parades would commence along the streets and people would dress up in their most colorful and prideful outfits and celebrate the LGBTQ+ community for everyone to see. The celebration also occurs in other parts of the world who join in solidarity with the cause of freedom and rights for all.

How to Celebrate Pride Month

Certainly it’s possible to find many ways to celebrate Pride Month! Whether just looking for something simple or hoping to go beyond into something extravagant, there’s all kinds of room for observing Pride Month. Take a look at some of these ideas to get those creative juices flowing:

Join in on a Pride Month Celebration

Many people feel that Pride Month is the time to express themselves, so get a little bit wild, don some rainbow garb, and enjoy the celebration. Different communities all over the place will schedule events and gatherings throughout the month of June, including parades, demonstrations, rallys and more.

Host an Event

Maybe there are no organized events locally that seem attractive on a certain day, but that’s okay! Perhaps this is the right time to gather a few friends and organize an event in the area. Try hosting a block party with all sorts of activities, games, t-shirt decorating contests and, of course, food. Don’t forget to decorate the location with rainbow themed streamers, flags and balloons!

Get Educated About Pride Month

One important way to celebrate Pride Month is to learn more about this history of the LGBTQ+ movement. Take a look at these interesting facts that might be good reminders of how far the world has come in accepting everyone:

• The designer of the rainbow flag that represents the LGBTQ movement was Gilbert Baker, and the flag was first created in 1978. Seeing it as a symbol for anyone involved in Pride, he decided not to trademark the flag.
• Henry Gerber was the founder of the first gay rights organization in the United States, called “The Society of Human Rights”, in 1924. He was arrested in 1925 and the organization folded out of a lack of resources.
• Bill Clinton was the first sitting US President to recognize Pride Month. Prior to 1999, it was a grass-roots event that was not recognized by the US government.
• Originally used by Nazis to shame homosexual men in concentration camps, the Pink Triangle (with the point at the bottom) was reclaimed for LGBTQ Pride.

Attend a Pride Month Memorial Service

Many people use Pride Month as an opportunity to celebrate the lives of people whose lives were lost to HIV/AIDS or to hate crimes. These types of gatherings often take place at important monuments around the world, including:

• The Stonewall Inn/Gay Liberation Monument in Greenwich Village, New York City
• The Pink Triangle Monument in Tel Aviv, Israel
• Gay and Lesbian Holocaust Memorial in Sydney, Australia
• The Alan Turing Memorial, Manchester, England

Show Appreciation to Others

Whether you’re a person who lives an LGBTQ+ lifestyle, or you simply want to be supportive, this is a great time to be reminded to find people who love you for you and let them know how much it means. Send some cards or thank you notes to people who have been caring and make the most out of the time by building stronger relationships.

Learn the History of Pride Month

This month is about confidence, and that is why this is the time to learn about the history of the LGBTQ+ community and be part of the celebration. Join the local LGBT community, buy tickets to the NYC Pride Month parade, or just share on social media while supporting the LGBT community.