PRIDE MONTH AND ITS IMPORTANCE
The month of June every year is observed and celebrated as Pride Month as a tribute to those who were a part of the Stonewall riots that took place in 1969. So here’s more information about it. On the 28th day of June in 1969, a gay club called Stonewall Inn was raided by a number of cops, following which, all the people from in and around the club protested on the streets. This iconic protest lasted a good 6 days with the demand for establishment of places where the people belonging to the LGBT+ community could go out and about with their sexual orientation without being arrested or charged.
Marsha P. Johnson, the leader of these protests was a transgender, bisexual woman. Later on, Brenda Howard, who is also called ‘Mother of Pride’ organized the Pride week and Christopher street Liberation Day Parade about a year after the Stonewall Riots took place. In today’s date, it is what we call the New York City Pride Parade/March which gave rise to numerous other marches all over the world. It also encouraged a number of other people around the world belonging to the LGBTQIA+ community to come out and live with their heads up. Pride has come a long way, although it is still fighting for its own rights and acceptance in the society.
LGBTQIA+ refers to all lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, pansexual, two-spirits (2S), androgynous and asexual people. Why Pride is called Pride, is another thing a lot of us here do not know. Brenda Howard coined the term ‘Pride’ although we do not exactly know what she wanted to point out. Well, it is assumed that she wanted everyone belonging to the LGBTQIA+ community to accept themselves and stand up right about themselves with pride despite all the unfortunate ways the law treated them in back then in the 60’s. Some were outcast by friends and family, some were sent to hospitals and medical centers to be ‘cured’ as it was considered a disease, or rather baptized or cleansed in some cases as it was also considered a sin. The term ‘Pride’ fits in well along with its symbol of a rainbow, which with each color represents a different thing such as healing, harmony, spirit etc. It is a perfect symbol for each and every member of this community to accept themselves and celebrate their existence. Let us now make the world a more peaceful place for all and accept and embrace Pride with pride. Happy Pride Month folks!
An ally,
Shubhangini Shaktawat