The month of June is celebrated as Pride Month across countries. Starting from June 1, various parades and celebrations are held across the world depicting the inclusion of LGBTQIA, an umbrella term for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex and Asexual community. Gay Pride celebrations this year is a little more special as June, 2019 also honours the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, popularly known as the Stonewall Uprising, which saw members of the LGBTQ+ community fight back against the harassment of the police in Greenwich Village, New York City.  5 Stereotypes We Need to Stop Associating With Homosexuality. 

June LGBT Pride Month 2019 is also a special occasion for LGBTQ rights advocates. Let us know and understand the history, significant historical events, parades and everything about the revolutionary month of the year.

LGBT Pride Month History & Significance

Gay Pride is the positive stance against discrimination and violence towards the LGBT people to promote their self-affirmation, dignity, equality, increase their visibility as a social group, build community and celebrate sexual diversity and gender variance. The 1950s and 1960s was an extremely repressive legal and social period for LGBT people in the United States. In this context, American homophile organisations such as Daughters of Bilitis (first lesbian civil and political rights organisation in the US) and the Mattachine Society coordinated some of the earliest demonstrations of the modern LGBT rights movement. The two organisations carried out pickets called Annual Reminders to inform and remind Americans that LGBT people did not receive basic civil rights protections. This was just the beginning of major revolutionary movements that held across the world at different time. Rainbow Europe 2019 Rankings. 

Why June Was Chosen for LGBT Pride Month?

June was chosen for LGBT Pride Month to honour the Stonewall riots, which occurred at the end of June in 1969. The Stonewall Riots also referred to as the Stonewall uprising were a series of spontaneous, violent demonstrations by LGBT community against a police raid that took place in the early hours of June 28, 1969, at the Stonewall Inn in the Greenwich Village, a neighbourhood of Manhattan, New York City. They were significantly considered to constitute the most important event leading to the gay liberation movement and fight for LGBT rights in the United States. It was from those riots, the gay liberation movement was born and a fight for rights that continues to date began.

Brenda Howard, an American bisexual rights activist, sex-positive feminist, and polyamorist, known as the “Mother of Pride,” coordinated the first LGBT Pride march and she also initiated the idea for a week-long series of events around Pride Day which became the origin of the annual LGBT Pride celebrations that are now held around the world every June. Best LGBTQ Moments of 2018. 

Many pride events are conducted in June to recognise the impact of LGBTQ+ people have had in the world. Ranging from solemn to festival, pride events are typically held during the LGBT Pride month. Some of the LGBT Pride Month 2019 events include LGBT pride parades and marches, rallies, commemorations, community, days, dance parties and large festivals.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 04, 2019 08:24 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).