The firstpride marches were held in four US cities in June 1970, one year after the riots at theStonewall Inn.[3] The New York City march, promoted as "Christopher Street Liberation Day", alongside the parallel marches in Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, marked a watershed moment forLGBTQ rights.[4] An organizer of some of the first marches namedFred Sargeant stated the goal was to commemorate the Stonewall riots and further push for liberation. He noted that while the first marches were more akin to a protest than a celebration, they helped to remind people ofLGBTQ communities and how they may include one's family and friends.[5]Transgender women andpeople of color, includingMarsha P. Johnson,Sylvia Rivera, andStormé DeLarverie, were largely excluded or silenced during the early marches, despite their prominent participation in the initial riots.[6][7]
Following the Stonewall riots and the first pride marches, the number of LGBTQ groups rapidly increased,[10] and thepride movement spread across the United States after a few years.[5] While many Pride celebrations around the world are held in June, some cities vary the observation at different times, partially due to local weather conditions.[11]
Polyamory Pride Day is celebrated every year on a day in Pride Month.[12]
June became recognized as Pride Month in the United States to commemorate the Stonewall Uprising. PresidentBill Clinton officially declared in apresidential proclamation that June would be "Gay and Lesbian Pride Month" in 1999.[13]Barack Obama expanded the official Pride Month recognition in 2011, including the whole of theLGBT community.[13][14]Donald Trump declined to offer federal recognition of Pride Month in 2017,[15] though he issued supportive public statements in a series ofTweets in 2019.[16]Joe Biden recognized Pride Month after taking office in 2021, and vowed to push forLGBT rights in the United States,[17] despite previously voting againstsame-sex marriage and school education of LGBTQ topics in theSenate.[18] Pride Month has since grown into a global celebration of LGBTQ+ culture and identity.[19]
In February 2025,Google announced that Pride Month would no longer be highlighted by default onGoogle Calendar, arguing that it was no longer "scalable or sustainable" to continue adding the growing number of national and international "cultural moments" manually to its calendars.[20]
International LGBTQ Pride Day is a day dedicated toLGBTQ pride, held on June 28 to commemorate the anniversary of theStonewall riots,[21] prior to the entire month becoming associated with LGBTQ Pride.
TheSan Francisco Pride march was promoted as theInternational Lesbian & Gay Freedom Day Parade from 1981 to 1994, likely the origin of an international pride day.[22]
Serbian groupArkadija commemorated International Pride Day in 1991 with a forum concerning queer activism and art atBelgrade Youth Center.[23]Nicaragua's first public pride festival was also held on this day 1991 to commemorate the Stonewall Riots.[24][25] Serbia also marked International Pride Day in between 2013 and 2015 withHate-Free Zone actions, organized by GSA, Women in Black and otherNGOs.[26]
Some have criticized how many companies release Pride Month-themed products, likening it to the concept ofslacktivism, as the companies are perceived to be using the topic of LGBTQ rights as a means of profit, without contributing to the movement in a meaningful way.[7] Others have criticized the seemingly hypocritical nature of companies making social media profiles evoke therainbow pride flag while refusing to alter the profile pictures in areas without broad LGBTQ acceptance.[27]
Some religious and cultural groups oppose Pride Month on ideological grounds. They view LGBTQ+ identities and relationships as contrary to their beliefs and traditions. These objections often lead to tensions and conflicts during Pride Month.[28]
In Canada, Pride Month is celebrated in June as part of the Pride Season, which happens from June to September. Other events in Pride Season include Public Service Pride Week, which is celebrated in the third week of August.[29]
Pride month is celebrated at different times throughout New Zealand.[33] InAuckland, it is celebrated in February,[34][33] and inChristchurch andWellington Pride Month is in March.[33]
^Carter, David (May 25, 2010).Stonewall: The Riots That Sparked the Gay Revolution.Macmillan Publishers.ISBN978-0-312-67193-8.Archived from the original on October 1, 2024. RetrievedOctober 25, 2022.As Frank Kameny stated, 'By the time of Stonewall, we had fifty to sixty gay groups in the country. A year later there was at least fifteen hundred. By two years later, to the extent that a count could be made, it was twenty-five hundred.'
Media related toPride Month at Wikimedia Commons
