LGBT Pride Month
A 2018 pride parade in San Francisco, California
TypeCultural
ObservancesCelebration of LGBT pride, rights, and culture
DateJune
FrequencyAnnual
First time1970; 54 years ago (1970)

LGBT Pride Month, often shortened to Pride Month, is a month, typically June, dedicated to celebration and commemoration of lesbian, gay, bisexual, asexual and transgender (LGBT) pride.[1] Pride Month began after the Stonewall riots, a series of gay liberation protests in 1969.[2]

History

Origins

Further information: Gay liberation

The concept of Pride Month began with the Stonewall riots, a series of riots for gay liberation that took place over several days beginning on June 28, 1969. The riots began after a police raid at the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar located within Lower Manhattan in New York City.[2] Activists Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, and Stormé DeLarverie are credited for inciting the riots, though Johnson disputes her involvement.[3][1]

A 1970s gay liberation protest

The year after the riots, the first pride marches were held in several US cities.[4] The march in New York City, aimed to celebrate the "Christopher Street Liberation Day", alongside parallel marches across the US, is considered to be a watershed moment for LGBT rights.[5] Fred Sargeant, an organizer of some of the first marches, said that the goal was to commemorate the Stonewall riots and further push for liberation. He noted that while the first marches were more akin to a protest than a celebration, it helped to remind people of LGBT communities and how they may include one's family and friends.[6] Transgender women and people of color were noted to have been excluded or silenced during the early marches, despite the initial riots largely consisting of them.[4][7]

Spread and celebration

Following the Stonewall riots and the first pride marches, the number of LGBT groups rapidly increased,[8] and the pride movement spread across the United States after a few years.[6] As of 2020, most pride celebrations in major urban areas around the world are held in June, although some cities hold them at different times of the year partially because of the weather in June being suboptimal for such events there.[9]

International LGBT Pride Day

Five images showing gay pride parades.
2019 Pride celebrations in Spain, Australia, South Africa, Brazil and Israel

Not to be confused with WorldPride.

International LGBT Pride Day is a day dedicated to LGBT Pride. It is held on June 28 to commemorate the anniversary of the Stonewall Riots,[10] making it part of Pride Month.

The first reference to an international pride day is likely by San Francisco Pride, whose march was entitled International Lesbian & Gay Freedom Day Parade between from 1981 to 1994.[11] In 1991, Serbian group Arkadija commemorated International Pride Day with a forum concerning queer activism and art at Belgrade Youth Center.[12] Nicaragua's first public pride festival was also held on this day 1991 to commemorate the Stonewall Riots.[13][14] Serbia also marked International Pride Day in between 2013 and 2015 with Hate-Free Zone actions, organized by GSA, Women in Black and other NGOs.[15]

Recognition

New York City's Metropolitan Transportation Authority recognizes Pride Month annually

In June 1999, US President Bill Clinton declared "the anniversary of [the] Stonewall [riots] every June in America as Gay and Lesbian Pride Month".[16] In 2011, President Barack Obama expanded the officially recognized Pride Month to include the whole of the LGBT community.[16][17] In 2017 Donald Trump declined to continue the federal recognition of Pride Month in the United States,[18] though he later recognized it in 2019 in a Tweet later used as a Presidential Proclamation.[19]

After taking office in 2021, Joe Biden recognized Pride Month and vowed to push for LGBT rights in the United States,[20] despite previously voting against same-sex marriage and school education of LGBT topics in the Senate.[21]

Pride Month is often observed in several LGBT-affirming religious congregations.[citation needed]

Criticism

Further information: Rainbow capitalism
The rainbow flag has become a symbol of LGBT culture

Some have criticized how many companies release Pride Month-themed products, likening it to the concept of slacktivism, as the companies are perceived to be using the topic of LGBT rights as a means of profit, without contributing to the movement in a meaningful way.[7] Others have criticized the seemingly hypocritical nature of companies making social media profiles evoke the rainbow pride flag while refusing to alter the profile pictures in areas without broad LGBT acceptance.[22]

Further information: Religion and LGBT people

Some religious and cultural groups oppose Pride Month on ideological grounds. They view LGBTQ+ identities and relationships as contrary to their beliefs and traditions. These objections often lead to tensions and conflicts during Pride Month, as LGBTQ+ individuals and their allies assert their rights to visibility and inclusion.[23]

Months of the year

New Zealand

Pride month is celebrated at different times throughout New Zealand.[24] In Auckland, it is celebrated in February,[25][24] and in Christchurch and Wellington Pride Month is in March.[24]

References

  1. ^ a b Wurzburger, Andrea (June 1, 2022). "Pride Month Explained: What Is Pride Month and Why Do We Celebrate?". People. Archived from the original on October 25, 2022. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  2. ^ a b Miranda, Gabriela (June 3, 2021). "What are the origins of Pride Month? And who should we thank for the LGBTQ celebration?". USA Today. Gannett. Archived from the original on October 25, 2022. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  3. ^ Oliver, David; Ali, Rasha (June 28, 2019). "Why we owe Pride to black transgender women who threw bricks at cops". USA Today. Gannett. Archived from the original on October 25, 2022. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  4. ^ a b Stanton, Cady (June 2, 2022). "What is the history behind Pride Month? How the LGBTQ celebration came to be". USA Today. Gannett. Archived from the original on June 2, 2022. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  5. ^ Sommerlad, Joe (July 2, 2022). "Pride 2022: How was the annual LGBT+ celebration founded and when and where are events taking place?". The Independent. Archived from the original on October 4, 2022. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  6. ^ a b Lopez, German (June 8, 2014). "LGBTQ Pride Month, explained". Vox. Vox Media. Archived from the original on October 25, 2022. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  7. ^ a b Abad-Santos, Alex (June 25, 2018). "How LGBTQ Pride Month became a branded holiday". Vox. Vox Media. Archived from the original on October 25, 2022. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  8. ^ Carter, David (May 25, 2010). Stonewall: The Riots That Sparked the Gay Revolution. Macmillan Publishers. ISBN 978-0-312-67193-8. As Frank Kameny stated, 'By the time of Stonewall, we had fifty to sixty gay groups in the country. A year later there was at least fifteen hundred. By two years later, to the extent that a count could be made, it was twenty-five hundred.'
  9. ^ Baume, Matt (June 25, 2020). "What Is Pride Month and the History of Pride?". Them. Condé Nast Publications. Archived from the original on October 26, 2022. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
  10. ^ "International LGBT+ Pride Day – UNESCO Chair on Education for Social Justice". Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  11. ^ "KQED | LGBT Pride: SF Historical Timeline". web.archive.org. July 16, 2008. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  12. ^ admin (February 22, 2013). "LGBT aktivizam u Srbiji". LGBTI.ba (in Bosnian). Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  13. ^ "glbtq >> social sciences >> Nicaragua". web.archive.org. August 14, 2007. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  14. ^ "Revista Envío - NICARAGUA BRIEFS". www.revistaenvio.org. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  15. ^ "Gay Straight Alliance | GSA | International Pride Day marked by the action "Hate-Free Zone"". Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  16. ^ a b Clinton, William J. (June 11, 1999). "Proclamation 7203—Gay and Lesbian Pride Month, 1999". The American Presidency Project. Archived from the original on February 22, 2019. Retrieved March 12, 2019.
  17. ^ Cho, Diane J. (June 1, 2022). "Notable Figures & Moments in Pride Month History to Honor This Week, from Gilbert Baker to Alan Turing". People. Archived from the original on October 25, 2022. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  18. ^ Bump, Philip (June 27, 2017). "Last year, June was National Pride Month. This year, it isn't". The Washington Post. Nash Holdings. Archived from the original on August 16, 2021. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  19. ^ Evon, Dan (June 1, 2021). "Did Trump Officially Recognize Pride Month During His Presidency?". Snopes. Archived from the original on August 17, 2022. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  20. ^ Karni, Annie (June 1, 2021). "Biden Recognizes Pride Month, Vowing to Fight for L.G.B.T.Q. Rights". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on June 2, 2021. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  21. ^ Nagourney, Adam; Kaplan, Thomas (June 21, 2020). "Behind Joe Biden's Evolution on L.G.B.T.Q. Rights". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on June 1, 2021. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  22. ^ Daisley, Stephen (June 3, 2022). "When will companies end their embarrassing Pride hypocrisy?". The Spectator. Press Holdings. Archived from the original on October 25, 2022. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  23. ^ "Religious beliefs and views of homosexuality". The Spectator. Pew Research Center. June 3, 2022. Archived from the original on April 22, 2023. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
  24. ^ a b c Gill, Sinead (March 23, 2022). "'People are proud throughout the year': When is New Zealand's real Pride month?". Stuff. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
  25. ^ "What's on: A guide to Pride 2024, from collaborative crafts to unmissable events". NZ Herald. February 1, 2024. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
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