Pride Month is celebrated every June as a tribute to those who were involved in the Stonewall Riots. We’re getting ready to dust off our rainbow flags, douse ourselves in glitter, and go join in the fun. With parades, festivals, and concerts going on across the globe, there’s always some way for you to get involved — as well as learn some important social history along the way.

WHEN IS PRIDE MONTH 2021?

As a sub-holiday during Pride Month, Pride Day is celebrated on June 28. The day marks the date in history when the first pride march was held in New York City in 1970. However, different communities celebrate Pride Day on different days throughout June.

HISTORY OF PRIDE MONTH

On a hot summer’s night in New York on June 28, 1969, police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay club in Greenwich Village, which resulted in bar patrons, staff, and neighborhood residents rioting onto Christopher Street outside. Among the many leaders of the riots was a black, trans, bisexual woman, Marsha P. Johnson, leading the movement to continue over six days with protests and clashes. The message was clear — protestors demanded the establishment of places where LGBT+ people could go and be open about their sexual orientation without fear of arrest.

Pride Month is largely credited as being started by bisexual activist Brenda Howard. Known as ‘The Mother of Pride,’ Brenda organized Gay Pride Week and the Christopher Street Liberation Day Parade a year after the Stonewall Riots. This eventually morphed into what we now know as the New York City Pride March and was the catalyst for the formation of similar parades and marches across the world.

Speaking of the rainbow flag, it was actually gay politician Harvey Milk who asked a talented designer friend, Gilbert Baker, to design an all-encompassing symbol to take to San Francisco’s Pride March in 1978. Sadly, Harvey Milk was assassinated along with Mayor George Moscone on November 23, 1978, in San Francisco City Hall by Dan White, a disgruntled former supervisor who was angry at Milk for lobbying against having him reappointed on the Board of Supervisors.

Bill Clinton was the first U.S. President to officially recognize Pride Month in 1999 and 2000. Then, from 2009 to 2016, Barack Obama declared June LGBT Pride Month. In May 2019, Donald Trump recognized Pride Month with a tweet announcing that his administration had launched a global campaign to decriminalize homosexuality, although critics have noted that actions speak louder than words.

The New York Pride Parade is one of the largest and most well-known parades to take place, with over 2 million people estimated to have taken part in 2019.

TRADITIONS FOR PRIDE MONTH

Pride Month is for everyone to embrace who they are and let the world know — in style! The rainbow aptly signifies the colorful activities and flavors of this month-long celebration. These include massive rallies, pride parades, parties, workshops, concerts, and countless more LGBTQ+ events to attract participants from all over. The Pride community takes huge pride in their movement, going all out for the festivities with elaborate costumes, makeup, and, of course, glitter — so that they sparkle for the whole world to see! 

Commemorations and memorials are also held for members of the community who have lost their lives to hate crimes and HIV/AIDS. Campaigns and rallies aim to promote and preserve the history and well-being of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community. 

PRIDE MONTH BY THE NUMBERS

52% – the percentage of LGBTQ people who’ve experienced depression recently.

1 in 8 – the number of LGBTQ people who have experienced unequal treatment from healthcare staff.

46% – the percentage of lesbian, gay, and bisexual people who are open about their sexual orientation with their family.

4.1% – the estimated percentage of women who identify as LGBT.

350,000 – the number of people in the LGBTQ community that are transgender women.

1 in 5 – the number of LGBTQ women living in poverty.

43% – the percentage of LGBTQ employees who haven’t revealed their orientation at work.

50% – the percentage of LGBTQ workers who recently got federal protection from discrimination.

10% – the amount of time LGBT workers spend hiding their identities. 

<$12,000 – the annual income earned by 22% of LGBTQ people.

PRIDE MONTH FAQS

What day is Pride Day 2021? 

Pride Day is celebrated on June 28 every year, falling during Pride Month.

What is Canada's Pride Day? 

Pride Toronto is an annual event held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, in June each year.

Is Pride Month celebrated in India? 

The LGBTQ+ culture is thriving in India and, despite the conservative atmosphere, Indians participate in Pride Day parades and celebrations during Pride Month.

HOW TO CELEBRATE PRIDE MONTH 2021

1. Rep your flag!Grab a rainbow, bi, lesbian, pan, ace, or any other flag of your preference and wave it with pride! Each of the rainbow flag’s original eight colors has a meaning: pink for sex, red for life, orange for healing, yellow for sun, green for nature, turquoise for magic, blue for peace, and purple for spirit. Don’t have a flag? Then wear your colors on a T-shirt, a hairband, or on the laces in your shoes. You could even paint your face with the colors that represent you — be as creative as you like to show your support.
2. Join in a pride paradeRun, walk, skip, or dance in a pride parade. You don’t need to identify as LGBTQ+ to attend a pride march. Everyone is welcome to show their support for gay rights and equality for all, so check out what’s happening in your community and go join in the fun!
3. Get some know-howWatch a movie that will give you more information about the serious message behind Pride Month. It isn’t just about festivals, rainbows, and glitter. So take some time to learn about the people who helped bring this movement together. “Milk” starring Sean Penn is a great movie to kick off and charts the life of the first openly gay politician, Harvey Milk.

5 WAYS PRIDE DAY IS CELEBRATED AROUND THE WORLD

1. Tel AvivThe Tel Aviv Pride celebration is the biggest of the LGBTQ+ community in the Middle East.
2. LondonVisit the stomping ground of Oscar Wilde and Boy George, where the parade will take you on a tour around Piccadilly Circus, Lower Regent Street and Trafalgar Square.
3. TapeiTaipei is billed as Asia’s biggest LGBTQ+ event — even more of a celebration now since Taiwan’s parliament recently passed a bill endorsing same sex marriage.
4. BerlinThe German capital’s Pride — technically called Christopher Street Day to pay homage to the Stonewall Riots and New York City’s key role in the gay rights movement — attracts up to half a million people.
5. ReykjavíkThe Icelandic city has been celebrating LGBTQ+ diversity and solidarity every year since 1999, with the event now having swelled to a 10 day celebration.

WHY WE LOVE PRIDE MONTH

1. It’s for everyone pride Month is a time when the LGBTQ+ community comes together to celebrate the acceptance of sexual diversity but that doesn’t mean you can’t join in if you’re a bog-standard hetero whose proclivities are firmly on the vanilla side of life.
2. It’s fun with a capital FIt’s your chance to come out of your shell and join in with any number of parades, festivals, concerts, and events going on in your community. It also gives you the chance to meet new like-minded people, knowing that this is a celebration of acceptance and love.
3. It shines a light on LGBTQ+ issues. Emphasis may be on fun, but it's also the perfect time to think about and discuss issues related to the gay rights movement, especially as it gets more attention from the media during this time — from gay marriage and adoption to transgender rights. Although huge strides have been made for equality over recent years, we all still have a long way to go. Pride Month is a great opportunity to learn about the fight for what's right, and to pitch in as well! 
   
   Article By: NationalToday.com