Seeing people post about Pride Month all over the internet and a variety of colourful flags all over your feed? Well, June is the month to celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community and marks a grand celebration every year. But do you know why this month is celebrated? Why are the rallies, performances, and events happening all across the globe? Well, here’s a quick lesson on LGBTQIA+ history and why the celebration carries on through the entire month.
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What is Pride Month?
Pride Month celebrates the LGBTQIA+ community through marches, rallies, festivals, movie screenings, social events, talk sessions, and much more. Celebrations take place all across the globe to show support for the community. This gives them a platform to raise their voice, openly talk about their opinions, and spread awareness among cis-het people. This is also a time to commemorate the milestones and remember the hardships of the community over the last few decades.
Every year, the month of June marks a cultural touchpoint in LGBTQIA+ history, rights, and culture. And it also pays homage to the members of the community who lost their lives to HIV/AIDS. Pride Month is all about giving the LGBTQIA+ community equality, recognition, and acceptance by the whole society.
Why is Pride Month celebrated in June?
The month of June marks the anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising which marks one of the biggest moments in LGBTQIA+ history. On June 28, 1969, the police raided The Stonewall Inn, a gay establishment and bar in NYC. People fought back by holding riots and marches for days which is known as the popular Stonewall Uprising. And later, in 1999, President Bill Clinton officially declared June as Gay and Lesbian Pride Month. The Stonewall Inn is a historical landmark in New York City now as former President Barack Obama named it a national monument in 2016.
So, every year, Pride parades are held in the month of June with people marching around the city with rainbow flags. The flag is known as “the rainbow of humanity” as it symbolises all genders and races. You can also spot black and brown stripes on the flags which represent people of colour in the community.
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