June is Pride Month! It’s a perfect time to reflect on the long history of resistance that led up to this month-long celebration of awareness and community.
Pride Month
The fight for equal rights has been an exhaustive one, with many successes along the way! But sadly, some setbacks due in large part to those who would rather not see change happen.
Pride Month commemorates the pursuit for equal rights for the LGBTQ+ community. It also celebrates the accomplishments of LGBTQ+ individuals, past and present. But how did it all start?
The stonewall Inn, New York
The Stonewall Riots
52 years ago, the Stonewall riots helped spur the fight for gay rights around the world.
During the 60s, being part of the LGBTQ+ community would have classified you as being mentally ill in the US. The community was regularly threatened and beaten by police. Then, were shunned by many in society too. Here in the UK, being gay was a criminal offense up until 1967, and the community was treated very similarly to the US. However, riots in New York of 1969 were the ‘big spark’ in history which helped the fight against homophobia. It transformed the campaign for equal rights.
What happened in 1969?
On 28 June 1969, police officers raided the Stonewall Inn, a small bar in the gay district of New York.
It was the second time that week the police had raided the Inn and they threw around 200 people out onto the streets and beat some badly, in full view of the community and residents.
The community was angry (to say the least) about the way the police had treated them, so they took the opportunity to stand and fight back. The standoff triggered a week of protesting and riots by the very people from the community who were tired of being harassed and persecuted by the authorities.
News of the riots spread quickly around the world and inspired others to join in protests and to start rights movements to fight for equality.
A month after the riots took place, the first openly gay march took place in New York demanding equality and rights for all the community, the very first Pride!
After the Stonewall, the first officially Pride festival took place in the UK in 1972. Around 2,000 people turned out for the event that day. But today, over a million people from all walks of life celebrate the event every year across the world.
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Pride Organisations and further reading
Stonewall is a LGBTQ+ rights charity in the United Kingdom. It is the largest rights organisation of its type in Europe.