Pride Month – The Stonewall Uprising

Dr. Justin Harper, Bryan U Fitness Program Director, Professor, and Coordinator for Bryan U’s Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Awareness Committee (IDEA Committee).

Here in the year 2020, the United States and other parts of the world have made tremendous strides in accepting people no matter their sexual orientation. If you travel through big cities across the country, you’ll see LGBTQ+ flags flying proudly on both city streets and throughout residential areas. This is a sign of huge progress if you ask me. In order to be able to truly appreciate how far we’ve come, we must understand where we came from.

Pride month is celebrated each year during the month of June. This celebration is to honor the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan. The Stonewall Uprising was the tipping point for the gay liberation movement here in the United States. The last Sunday in June was initially celebrated and known as “Gay Pride Day”, but the actual day was flexible as many chose to celebrate on other days during the month of June. In major cities across the country the “day” grew to encompass a month-long series of events and celebrations.

These celebrations took place in the form of picnics, parades, concerts, and various informational workshops. This commemorative month’s purpose is to recognize the impact that gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals have had on history on a local, national, and international level.

June 2020 marks the 50th anniversary of LGBTQ+ Pride traditions. The first Pride march took place in New York City, and was held on June 28, 1970 on the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising.

As we close out the month of June, let’s all take time to learn more about the LGBTQ+ community, and I encourage each of you to learn more about the Stonewall Uprising.