Taking place every June, Pride Month celebrates the self-affirmation, dignity, equality and increased visibility of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. The month-long celebration was given the name “Pride” to encourage those feelings as the community comes together to celebrate and bolster LGBTQ+ rights movements. As people rally together, ET has put together a guide to all things Pride, including a brief history, how to celebrate and support.
How It Started
Before Pride become a celebration, it started out as a protest. June 28, 1969 marks the start of the Stonewall riots in which the queer community responded to a police raid that began at the Stonewall Inn, a bar located in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Manhattan, New York, that served as a safe haven for the city’s gay, lesbian and transgender community.
At the time, homosexual acts were deemed illegal in almost every state, and bars and restaurants faced getting shut down for having gay employees or serving gay patrons. While police had raided gay establishments before, on that particular night, members of the LGBTQ community decided to fight back, sparking an uprising that would launch a new era of resistance that would later turn to celebration.
Mark Segal was one of the many LGBTQ people outside Stonewall Inn, where a stand was being taken against the latest police raid of one of the community’s few safe spaces to gather in New York City. Transgender woman and activist Marsha P. Johnson picked up the first brick thrown in rage, kicking off the modern LGBTQ rights movement.
“That night in June of 1969, we felt rage at the police,” Segal told ET’s Denny Directo, as Pride has become a stark reminder that these modern-day celebrations once started as a protest.
“We were enraged because, in a sense, 2,000 years of repression built up in us. And the New York City Police Department that night, when they violently came into Stonewall and beat people up against the wall and extorted money from people, got us angry,” Segal continued.
“And it was that night that we said to the police, ‘We are taking our street back. This is our neighborhood. You are no longer going to control us. You’re no longer going to dominate us. We’re going to create our identity. We’re going to create a community where you wouldn’t allow us to have community,’” Segal said.
History of Pride in the United States
Why June?
On June 28, 1970, on the first anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, the first Pride parade set off from Stonewall. Gay activists in New York organized the Christopher Street Liberation March to cap off the city’s first Pride Week. Several hundred people started marching up 6th Avenue, toward Central Park. The parade eventually stretched 15 city blocks and encompassed thousands of supporters.
Celebrations Across the Country
Activists in other cities, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston and Chicago, organized Pride celebrations that same year, celebrations that would continue through today.
Origins of the Rainbow Flag
The rainbow flag was popularized as a symbol of the gay community by San Francisco artist Gilbert Baker in 1978. The different colors are often associated with “diversity” in the gay community, but actually have literal meanings. Hot pink, before it was removed, stood for sex; red means life; orange means healing; yellow means sunlight; green means nature; turquoise means magic and art; indigo (later changed to royal blue) means serenity; and violet means spirit. There are several other flags in the LGBTQ+ community, including the transgender flag, pansexual flag and more.
How to Celebrate
With much of the country starting to reopen after the pandemic brought things to a stand still last year, there is a mix of virtual and in-person events taking place. To kick things off, Pride Live, a social advocacy and community engagement organization for the LGBTQ+ community, will have its fourth annual Stonewall Day, a global campaign to elevate awareness and support for the Stonewall rebellion legacy and the continuing fight for full LGBTQ+ equality.
Adam Lambert will curate and perform at the event, which will take place on June 6 at the Coliseum in Los Angeles, California. Also participating in the in-person celebration will be Chelsea Clinton, Kim Petras, Whoopi Goldberg, Angelica Ross, Sam Sparro, VINCINT, Geena Rocero, Ryan Jamaal Swain, George Takei, Keiynan Lonsdale, Chely Wright, and more.
“Community is at the center of our community, literally. Being together is so critical for the LGBTQ community, and that we will have a year this year that we’ll partially be able to be together is so important,” Sarah Kate Ellis, President and CEO of GLAAD, told ET’s Denny Directo. “The pandemic has struck our community disproportionately, because we’re a marginalized community, because we don’t have the same access, and whether it be to healthcare or economics, housing, all of those things. And so, for us to come together and have a moment of celebration, reflection is critical this year. So we’re really excited about Pride and for some small gatherings across the country.”
Additionally, iHeartRadio is hosting their second annual “Can’t Cancel Pride” virtual celebration. The LGBTQ+ relief benefit will be hosted by iHeartMedia on-air personality Elvis Duran, and Bebe Rexha, who will also perform her new single, “Sacrifice,” at the event. Other influential voices in the LGBTQ+ community that are set to make appearances and perform at the virtual Pride celebration include: Demi Lovato, Lil Nas X, Ricky Martin and Brothers Osborne, Busy Philipps, Gus Kenworthy, Hayley Kiyoko, Jennifer Hudson, JoJo Siwa, Marshmello, MJ Rodriguez, Nina West, Pink and more.
Many major cities including New York City, Los Angeles and Seattle are hosting a hybrid of in-person and virtual events throughout the month of June.
What to Watch
Master of None
Season 3 of the series focused on Denise and her, wife Alicia, as they navigated the ups and downs of their marriage and the reality of fertility as a gay couple.
Moonlight
A young African American man grapples with his identity and sexuality while experiencing the everyday struggles of childhood, adolescence and burgeoning adulthood.
Milk
This biographical drama tells the story of Harvey Milk and his struggles as an American gay activist who fought for gay rights and became California’s first openly gay elected official.
Books to Read
We Are Everywhere
A rich and sweeping photographic history of the Queer Liberation Movement, from the creators and curators of the massively popular Instagram account @lgbt_history, released in time for the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots.
Giovanni’s Room
James Baldwin’s groundbreaking novel about love and the fear of love, set among the bohemian bars and nightclubs of 1950s Paris. With sharp, probing insight, Giovanni’s Room tells an impassioned, deeply moving story that lays bare the unspoken complexities of the human heart.
Fairest
Fairest is a memoir about a precocious boy with albinism, a “sun child” from a rural Philippine village, who would grow up to become a woman in America. Throughout her journey, Talusan shares poignant and powerful episodes of desirability and love that will remind readers of works such as Call Me by Your Name and Giovanni’s Room. Her evocative reflections shift our own perceptions of love, identity, gender, and the fairness of life.
How to Support
What to Shop
Adidas
To celebrate the LGBTQ+ community, Adidas has launched its Pride collection, which is filled with sleek and sporty pieces like clothes, accessories and shoes for men and women featuring eye-catching rainbow prints and colors. Known as the Love Unites collection, the capsule takes on a DIY look inspired by the LGBTQ+ communities.
Bombas
Bombas’ annual Pride Collection includes a selection of underwear, socks, T-shirts and more. And for every Pride piece purchased, Bombas will donate a specially designed item to someone in need within the LGBTQ+ community through three of its partners, Casa Ruby, Mozaic and the Transgender Resource Center of New Mexico.
Disney
Earlier this month, Disney launched a full collection — Rainbow Disney — to celebrate its LGBTQ+ community. Additionally, Disney will be donating to various organizations that are working to support the community like GLSEN, Minus18, Diversity Role Models and more.
Where to Donate
Equality Federation
The Equality Federation is the movement builder and strategic partner to state-based organizations advocating for LGBTQ people. From Equality Florida to Freedom Oklahoma to Basic Rights Oregon, the Equity Federation amplifies the power of the state-based LGBTQ movement.
Trevor Project
The Trevor Project is the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ young people under 25.
Transgender Law Center
The Transgender Law Center is the largest national trans-led organization advocating self-determination for all people. They are a multi-disciplinary organization that uses litigation, policy advocacy, education, movement building, and direct service to meet the needs of transgender communities.
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