As we celebrate Pride month and strides made toward equality, it’s time to reflect on how Pride has been fought for through the ages! Here are a few of the many pivotal moments that sparked change and continue to inspire the fight for LGBTQ+ rights:
Society of Human Rights
The Society of Human Rights, founded by Henry Gerber in the 1920s, was established to advocate rights for all. This organization was the first to advocate for gay and lesbian rights at a time when this was taboo.
Following the coalition of the Society of Human Rights, the press was booming with news of a shift in societal changes. This was met with lots of backlash from non-supporters, building up to a pivotal momentous event known as the Stonewall Riots.
Stonewall Riots
On June 28th, 1969 the Stonewall Inn Bar in Greenwich village was raided by the police for the second time in a week. During this time, it was not uncommon for the police to raid places where gay and lesbian individuals gathered.
A large crowd gathered to fight back, protesting and rioting against this mistreatment. The movement sparked a six day continuation of protests and fights against the police. This momentous event set the modern LGBTQ+ fight into motion and paved the way for a generation of pride movements.
The First Gay Pride Parade
A year after the Stonewall Riots the first commemorative parade took place. Honoring the fight for the community, marches were held in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, and San Francisco. In New York City, there was reported to be around 3,000-5,000 participants that celebrated and marched, a huge number at that time.
In 1978, the gay pride flag was created by Gilbert Baker, who used strips of different fabric that had been dyed at the San Francisco's Gay Community Center.
First Official Gay Pride Month
The marches and parades continued for years, reaching corners of the world many never believed it could. In June of 2000, Bill Clinton officially named the month of June Gay and Lesbian Pride Month. This was a name that shifted in 2009 by Barack Obama, who hoped to birth a more inclusive name.
2009 was a year of change when International Transgender Day of Visibility began. It all started with a call to action by activist Rachel Crandall on Facebook. The message gained traction quickly as many countries joined in to embrace the holiday.
Marriage Equality
In 2015, history was made when the Supreme Court ruled that same-sex marriage would be legal in all 50 states. Supporters rallied and celebrated all around the world, embracing the love and progress toward equality.
From this moment onward, huge strides have been made to continue forward with the fight for the LGBTQ+ community. There is still such a long way to go to ensure there are equal rights for all, but it’s beautiful to see just how far we have come.
