June is Pride month, a nationwide celebration of the contributions gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people have made to our lives and culture. We wanted to learn more about gay pride history, so did a little Google self-educating.
Here are some interesting bits of information on the history of pride month:
- Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month (LGBT Pride Month) is currently celebrated each year in the month of June to honor the 1969 Stonewall riots in Manhattan. The Stonewall riots were a tipping point for the Gay Liberation Movement in the United States. (from the Library of Congress)
- In the late ’60s, New York had laws prohibiting homosexuality in public and private gatherings of the community were often raided. On June 28, 1969, a scuffle broke out between the patrons of Stonewall Inn at Greenwich Village and the police during such a raid, which resulted in three successive days of riots and protests. The incident received considerable media coverage and became the focal point for the modern gay civil rights movement. (from MSN.com)
- The rainbow flag is the most-recognized LGBT symbol. Designed by Gilbert Baker in 1978, it initially featured eight symbolic colors, which was later cut down to six — red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet. (from MSN.com)
- According to the LA Times, in the six months following the Supreme Court’s ruling (which made gay marriage legal in the US), nearly 100,000 gay couples wed.
- Only two U.S. presidents have so far issued official proclamations declaring June a month to celebrate and honor the LGBT community. Former President Bill Clinton started the tradition in 1999, and it was followed by President Barack Obama (pictured), who has signed a proclamation every year since 2009. (from MSN.com)
