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Writer's pictureJ.Anthony Tedpahogo

Let's Learn: What is Pride Month?



Illustration by: A. Leal De La Torre

Pride month is a month-long celebration of LGBTQ communities around the world. The celebration of Pride originates from the historic Stonewall riots in New York City, where gay youth of the 1960s fought back against society in response to gay being classified as a mental illness and the continual harassment by police.


The riots took place at the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in the Greenwich Village neighborhood, where police raided the establishment and began arresting people on the morning of June 28, 1969. In response to the raid and years of harassment, New York’s gay community began to riot in Greenwich Village and in the surrounding neighborhoods for three days.


The riots sparked and inspired an emerging gay rights movement with organizations such as the Gay Liberation Front and the Gay Activists Alliance formed in New York City. Members from both movements interrupted public meetings and met with New York officials to hold them accountable for past actions against the LGBTQ community and other marginalized groups.


One year removed from the Stonewall Riots, the nation’s first-ever Gay Pride marches were held on June 28, 1970. The marches were a full-on demonstration of liberation and freedom for the LGBTQ community. Today, Pride Month is a worldwide celebration of self-affirmation, dignity and equality, and draws awareness and visibility to lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, and transgender social groups.





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