New Delhi: Pride month is celebrated in many countries across the globe in June every year. This annual celebration is aimed at creating awareness about the plight of the LGBTQ+ community and to end all kinds of discrimination against them. Pride month is also an opportune time to embrace diversity and create more inclusive societies where the LGBTQ+ community can also enjoy equal rights.
Pride month is a time to honour the progress made in the pursuit of LGBTQ+ rights, spread awareness about the challenges that the community still faces, and promote inclusivity and acceptance. June 28 is marked as Pride Day every year.
History
Pride month is essentially a tribute to those who were involved in the Stonewall riots. The history of pride month can be traced back to these riots. In June 1969, police raided the Stonewall Inn gay bar in New York City’s Greenwich Village. This raid triggered a week of violent clashes on Christopher Street between the police and the patrons of the Stonewall Inn.
In the United States, the Stonewall riots ignited a long struggle to bring lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people into the mainstream. This incident proved to be a watershed event in the history of gay rights in the US. It can be said that the incident became a catalyst for a global movement for LGBTQ+ rights.
Bill Clinton became the first US president to officially recognise Pride month in the year 1999 and 2000. President Barack Obama designated the site of the 1969 Stonewall riots as a national monument in 2016.
Significance
While Pride month served as a public celebration, it is also an opportunity to demand action on specific issues such as the AIDS epidemic and same-sex marriage.
New York City’s Pride march is one of the highlights of the month. It was first held on June 28, 1970.
This year, the theme for New York City’s official Pride march is ‘Strength in Solidarity.’
LGBTQ+ communities organise parades, marches, rallies, and other events to celebrate diversity and promote acceptance throughout June. These marches and rallies often feature vibrant displays of rainbow flags, which have become a symbol of the LGBTQ+ community.
Pride month also seeks to educate the public about LGBTQ+ history, rights, and the ongoing struggle for equality.
