This month is a celebration of the LGBTQ+ community. Pride Month is celebrated every June, to mark those who were involved in the Stonewall Riots in 1969.
Pride month is about acceptance, equality, celebrating the work of LGBTQ+ people, education in LGBTQ+ history and raising awareness of issues affecting the LGBTQ+ community.
It also calls for people to remember how damaging homophobia was and still can be.
Pride is all about being proud of who you are no matter who you love.
How did Pride Month start?
On 28 June 1969 police raided the Stonewall Inn – a gay club in Greenwich Village in New York City.
This resulted in bar staff, patrons and other locals rioting in the streets, calling for safe spaces for LGBTQ+ people to express their sexuality without fear.
Led by black trans bisexual woman Marsha P Johnson, there were six straight days of protests.
The following year bisexual activist Brenda Howard known as 'The Mother of Pride',
organised Gay Pride Week and the Christopher Street Liberation Day Parade, the first-ever gay pride march. This eventually became New York City Pride, and the event kept expanding until June came to be known as Pride Month, and started being recognised as such around the world.
The rainbow flag that represents Pride was designed by Gilbert Baker for San Francisco’s Pride March in 1978.
The suggestion to call the movement 'Pride' came from L. Craig Schoonmaker who in 2015 said:
"A lot of people were very repressed, they were conflicted internally, and didn't know how to come out and be proud. That's how the movement was most useful, because they thought, 'Maybe I should be proud." - L. Craig Schoonmaker
How is it celebrated in the UK?
Pride marches are held up and down the country, particularly in big cities. They will normally be full-day events with floats, live acts and celebrity appearances.
Rainbow colours are always prominent, and it is almost impossible to come back from a Pride without a coating of glitter.
This year many Pride events are virtual due to the Covid-19 pandemic, including Brighton Pride for the second year running.
Despite June being Pride Month, in the UK many Pride events are held in July, August and September.
You can find a full list of this summer’s events here – including virtual events.
(Source: Culture 'Pride-month-2021' / BBC Newsround 'Pride month: What is it and why do people celebrate it?')
Happy Pride!
Best wishes
The Student Wellbeing Team