Pride flag raised in DC in honor of Pridemance
When the Pride flag was raised, officials, organizers and supporters gathered in front of the John A. Wilson building in Washington, DC.
June 1 marks the beginning of Pride Month and begins a celebration of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ) history, culture and resilience.
The first Pride Parade took place in New York City on June 28, 1970, a year after the Stonewall riots, along with those of Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles as the first protest march.
Here’s the history behind Pridemance, how it began, and how it’s used to commemorate the lives of LGBTQ individuals today:
Pride Month comes from police harassment and the riots at Stonewall Inn
Until the 2003 U.S. Supreme Court decision, homosexuality was considered a crime all over the United States, so people identified as LGBTQ often meet in places targeting straight people, said Bryona Simone Jones, a professor of queer studies at Spellman University in Atlanta.
One of these meetup spots is Stonewall Inn, a private club-turned bar on Christopher Street in Greenwich Village, Manhattan.
New York police, who once had a public moral corps with disabilities, were known for harassing people in their communities, especially drug queens and transgender people, Jones told USA Today.
The NYPD used the “3 article rules” in the 1940s and 1960s. Although the rule did not become law, police often threatened arrest if an individual did not wear at least three clothes that matched the gender assigned to him at birth, Jones said.
Things went into order on June 28, 1969 after the NYPD attacked the facility, but the rise in users and crowds decided to fight back. The five-day riots from June 28th to July 3rd, 1969 proved to be a catalyst for the national civil rights movement for members of the LGBTQ community.
Now, almost 56 years later, the day is commemorated by a month-long celebration of parades, marches and flags.
The way that one march led to a month’s anniversary.
It took 30 years from the Stonewall riots to the federal approval of Pride Month through a declaration from President Bill Clinton in 1999. Since then, two other presidents, Barack Obama in 2011 and Joe Biden in 2024, have issued more declarations to highlight the achievements of the LGBTQ community.
According to Stephen Petrus, director of the Public History Program at Laguardia Community College, official White House approval took decades to come to fruition, organising efforts for gay, lesbian and transgender rights and forming advocacy groups.
How can an alliance become part of the Pride Month?
One of the best ways an alliance can support their LGBTQ loved ones is learning, said Nicholas Boston, an associate professor of media sociology at Lehman College and City University of New York.
“Education is the best form of alliance,” he told USA Today.
Petrus of Laguardia Community College said those who want to learn more can look into:
Saleen Martin is a reporter for the USA Today Now team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – 757. Email her to sdmartin@usatoday.com.
