June Is Pride Month

Pride Month is celebrated in June each year in honor of the LGBTQIA+ community and the progressive change that has occurred in the last decade and throughout history. Pride month is celebrated in June to commemorate the riots led by the LGBTQIA+ community following a police raid at Stonewall Inn on June 28, 1969 in New York City. Many view what is now known as the “Stonewall Riots” as the turning point in history for the LGBTQIA+ community. It was a movement started by transgender women of color fighting for their right to exist without being brutalized and killed.

To celebrate Pride Month, millions of people from all over the globe gather year after year to participate in marches, parades, concerts, protests, workshops and more. Throughout the month, participants honor members of the LGBTQIA+ community who have lost their lives.

As a symbol of support, LGBTQIA+ community members and advocates proudly carry the rainbow flag, originally created by Gilbert Baker, an American artist, gay rights activist and U.S. Army veteran. According to Baker’s website, the colors of the LGBT flag each have a meaning: red for life, orange for healing, yellow for sunlight, green for nature, blue for harmony and violet for spirit. In 2017 the flag was altered in Philadelphia to add black and brown symbolizing the fight against racism while honoring “black and brown members of the gay community.” Most recently in 2018, a five colored chevron pattern including black, brown, light pink, light blue and white was added to the flag to be further inclusive of people of color and transgender individuals, it is known as the Progress Pride Flag.

While events throughout Pride Month might look a little different this year due to COVID-19, most parades, marches and celebrations will take place online. In addition, in the support of the Black Lives Matter Movement, LGBTQIA+ events are now making plans to fully support and amplify the voices of the Black community and advocates. Sarah Kate Ellis, president of Los Angeles-based LGBT advocacy group GLAAD, shared that it’s important to remember the 1969 Stonewall Riots were spearheaded by many people of color. She also explained that the LGTBQIA+ community will be centering and lifting up the voices of their members of color. 

Join us as we support and stand with our sisters who are proud members of the LGBTQIA+ community, not just in the month of June, but all year long. We acknowledge and accept that we have made mistakes in the past but AOII is committed to making real change for our LGBTQIA+ sisters, Black sisters and sisters of color. We have work to do!

Check out the events listed below for a virtual Pride Month event near you!

• Boston Pride will host a series of virtual events throughout the month, including the raising of the rainbow pride flag on June 5 at 12 p.m. ET, a talk on June 5 with Eric Cervini, author of “The Deviant’s War: The Homosexual vs. the United States of America,” the annual Pride Lights on June 9 to commemorate those affected by the HIV/AIDS pandemic, as well as a pride festival and concert on June 13.
• Los Angeles‘ first-ever virtual pride parade will air as a 90-minute primetime special exclusively on Los Angeles ABC station KABC on June 13 from 7:30 to 9 p.m. PT, with an encore presentation on June 14 at 2 p.m. PT.
• The first-ever virtual Trans March will kick off on June 26 at a to-be-decided time.
• The New York City Pride Rally will take place virtually on June 26 at a to-be-decided time.
• San Francisco Pride will host an online celebration and rally on June 27 from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. PT and on June 28 from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT. The virtual event will feature live and prerecorded performances, greetings from LGBT community members, elected officials and celebrities as well as speeches from thought leaders, drag and dance performances, DJ sets and more.
• Seattle Pride will hold a series virtual events from June 26 through June 28, with specific times and more information to come.

AOII is aware this is not an exhaustive list of all 2020 Pride events, these are just the events listed in the source below.

Source: ABC News, LGBT Pride Month 2020: What to know about its history, events, parades