Did you know June is Pride Month? Pride Month is a direct effect of the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan, a six-day long protest against the unfair treatment of the LGBTQ+ community. Things turned violent after a few LGBTQ+ people were arrested on questionable charges, handcuffed, and very publicly forced into police cars on the streets of NYC at the Stonewall Inn, the hub of the NYC Gay Community in the 1960s. The Uprising was started by Marsha P. Johnson, the “Rosa Parks of the LGBTQ+ Movement,” a Black transwoman and revolutionary activist. The first Pride march was held on the one-year anniversary of the Uprising on June 28, 1970 and was organized by the “Mother of Pride,” Brenda Howard. June 2020 marks the 50th anniversary of annual LGBTQ+ Pride traditions. The idea behind Pride is to promote dignity, equal rights, and self-affirmation as well as increase society’s awareness of the issues they face. A month-long celebration focused on uplifting and highlighting the joy of LGBTQ+ lives, Pride Month is also an opportunity to peacefully protest and raise political awareness of current issues facing the community. Due to the current COVID-19 crisis, all celebrations will be held virtually via online streams and meetings to keep queer and transgender people safe at home. However, the community is still using this month to raise awareness about the current Black Lives Matter movement by bolstering those voices that are at the intersection of Black and Queer cultures. David Correa, the interim executive director of NYC Pride said that “Pride has always toed this line between protest and celebration. It might be more so in the protest realm this year—and I think that’s great.”
