Pride Day is celebrated on June 28. The day marks the date in history when the first pride march was held in New York City in 1970.
On a hot summer’s night in New York on June 28, 1969, police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay club in Greenwich Village, which resulted in bar patrons, staff, and neighborhood residents rioting onto Christopher Street outside. Among the many leaders of the riots was a black, trans, bisexual woman, Marsha P. Johnson, leading the movement to continue over six days with protests and clashes. The message was clear — protestors demanded the establishment of places where LGBT+ people could go and be open about their sexual orientation without fear of arrest.
Pride Month is largely credited as being started by bisexual activist Brenda Howard. Known as ‘The Mother of Pride,’ Brenda organized Gay Pride Week and the Christopher Street Liberation Day Parade a year after the Stonewall Riots.
Timeline of Pride Events
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June 25, 1978 Pride Flag
Gilbert Baker’s original design of the rainbow gay pride flag is flown at the San Francisco Gay Freedom Day Parade.
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June 11, 1999 Officially Recognized
Bill Clinton was the first U.S. President to officially recognize Pride Month.
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June 26, 2015 Same Sex Marriage Rights
The U.S. Supreme Court makes same-sex marriages legal in all 50 U.S. states