T
he purpose of Pride month is often misconstrued and even overlooked at times. For years, Pride month has been celebrated across the United States in June with parades, festivals and events. However, if we look beyond the rainbow designs and parades, we can see the true meaning of Pride month ‒ to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community and recognize those who have fought and advocated for equal rights. Pride month got its roots from the Stonewall Riots, a six-day protest which began on June 28, 1969, in New York City. The Stonewall Riots were a series of riots done by members of the LGBTQ+ community in response to a police raid at the Stonewall Inn, a gay club located in Greenwich Village. It was because of
the Stonewall Riots that the gay rights movement took off. Prior to the Stonewall Riots, members of the LGBTQ+ community were not generally open about their sexual orientation or identity. However, the event at Stonewall motivated the LGBTQ+ community and sparked greater political activism for gay rights. The first gay Pride march took place on the anniversary of the riots in 1970. The early Pride events focused on members being proud to be out of the closet, individual freedom, and diversity. Since then, political and social activism have become central for Pride events. Today, people use rainbow flags, shirts, and other colorful accessories to celebrate. But where exactly did the rainbow design come from? In 1978, the most recognized symbol of gay pride, the
16
rainbow flag, made its debut by San Francisco artist, Gilbert Baker and has since then been adopted as the official pride flag. In 2017, Philadelphia redesigned the pride flag to include the colors brown and black to represent people of color and promote diversity and inclusion. “The pride flag makes me feel happy and safe,” said Kiana Wilyat, a member of the LGBTQ+ community. “Seeing it anywhere in public lets me know that I’m safe and supported by at least someone in that area. Pride month reminds me of how far the LGBTQ+ community has come and that we still have to continue to fight for the rights of those within our community.”
Additionally, there are other flags to represent different members of the community. The transgender flag, which consists of five horizontal stripes, was created by trans woman Monica Helms in 1999 and was first shown at a Pride parade in Phoenix in 2000. The flag displays two light blue stripes for boys, two pink stripes for girls, and a white stripe in the center for those who are transitioning and feel they have a neutral gender or no gender, and those who are intersex. There are several other flags that were made to represent each individual part of the community. For more information on each flag, visit Pride Flags - TriPride. Pride month is not only a time to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community, but it is also a time to recognize,
