5 Best Cities to Celebrate Pride
Celebrations of pride around the world show an ongoing battle for LGBTQ+ rights, mixing a vibrant parade with heart-pounding reminders of past struggles.
No brand – Lifestyle
This June marks the 55th anniversary of the first LGBTQ+ Pride March held in the US.
LGBTQ+ Pride Month, also known simply as Pride Month, takes place every June. This is an observation of a strange culture with celebrations and protests. Countless communities host Pride Marches, demonstrations and parties to celebrate the strange joys, but the roots of Pridemance are tied to dark times.
The first LGBTQ+ Pride March took place in June 1970, a year after New York City police officers broke into the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village, resulting in six days of riots in the neighborhood. Raids and consent protests and marches were ongoing decades ago, but the Stonewall riots have proven to be a typical moment for the US LGBTQ+ community
Let’s take a closer look at the origins of Pridemance and how the 10 major cities of this summer are celebrated.
When is LGBTQ+ Pride Month?
Pride month is the entire month of June.
Pride around the US: This is when major cities are celebrating
Interested in learning about Pride events in your local major cities?
Here’s a look at some of the top pride celebrations across the country. Parade; Live Entertainment; Food, Drinks, Product Vendors. Community resources. Family-friendly activities are at the heart of all these events.
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When was LGBTQ+ Pride Month established?
The US federal government declared June “Gay & Lesbian Pride Month” under former President Bill Clinton in 1999. The month was expanded to “Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) Pride Month” by former President Barack Obama in 2009.
However, Pride Month dates back decades ago when it was “officially” recognized by the federal government. The first Pride Margin was actually held in New York City on June 28, 1970, on the anniversary of the Stonewall uprising.
Why was LGBTQ+ PRIDE MONTH established?
Early on June 28, 1969, New York City police officers stormed the Stonewall Inn, a now historic gay bar. In New York at the time, homosexuality was considered a criminal offence, and until 1980, “same-sex relationships” were not the state’s decriminalisation. At the time, the Stonewall Inn was owned by the Mafia. The Mafia, according to the Library of Congress, has often leaned law enforcement towards “illegal” practices, without caring about its customers.
Police attacked Stonewall Inn and countless others, but the June 28, 1969 event was known as the Stonewall Riot and led a six-day uprising of LGBTQ+ rights. No deaths have been reported as part of the riot, but protesters have clashed violently with law enforcement, destroying windows and barricades and setting fires.
In addition to the first Pride Margin in 1970, the Stonewall riots led to the establishment of advocacy groups such as the Gay Liberation Front (July 1969), Human Rights Campaign (1980), GLAAD (1985), and PFLAG (1973).
Until June 2003, intimate, consensual same-sex relationships were decriminalized by the federal government. And in 2015, same-sex marriage was legalized by the Supreme Court.
Today, the Stonewall Inn is open for customers. The bar is also part of Greater Stonewall National Monument, which includes the bar in Greenwich Village and its adjacent visitor centre.
Why does the rainbow flag represent Pride Month?
The Rainbow Pride flag is easily found in Pride Month. There are several different pride flags that have been created over the years, but the original flags created by Gilbert Baker in 1978 are hot pink for sex, hot pink for healing, yellow for sunlight, turquoise for magic and art, turquoise, indigo for Serenity, lgbtq+ violet for the spirit of people.
Gretacross is a national trend reporter for USA Today. Story ideas? Please email her gcross@usatoday.com.
