June
LGBTQ PRIDE Month
All Month
“Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) Pride Month is currently celebrated each year in the month of June to honor the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan. The Stonewall Uprising was a tipping point for the Gay Liberation Movement in the United States. In the United States the last Sunday in June was initially celebrated as ‘Gay Pride Day,’ but the actual day was flexible. In major cities across the nation the ‘day’ soon grew to encompass a month-long series of events. Today, celebrations include pride parades, picnics, parties, workshops, symposia and concerts, and LGBTQ Pride Month events attract millions of participants around the world. Memorials are held during this month for those members of the community who have been lost to hate crimes or HIV/AIDS. The purpose of the commemorative month is to recognize the impact that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals have had on history locally, nationally, and internationally.”
QTBIPoC Pride Week
First Week of Pride Month
The roots of Pride in America come from the activism of transwomen of color. Yet, much of society, media, and advertisements in Pride focus on cisgender, white narratives and representation. Queer Trans Black Indigenous People of Color (QTBIPoC) during the first week of Pride is meant to uplift the voices of marginalized and traditionally erased community members.
Pulse Remembrance Day
June 12
Pulse Nightclub was a popular LGBTQ+ night bar in Orlando, FL. On June 12th, 2016 the Orlando community grieved the loss of 49 people who were victims of a mass shooting in the night club. Learn more about the complexity behind this tragic event and how the LGBTQ+ community has grieved and continued to heal from it.
Juneteenth
June 19
Juneteenth is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the emancipation of African-American slaves. It is also often observed for celebrating African-American culture. Originating in Galveston, Texas, it has been celebrated annually on June 19 in various parts of the United States since 1865.
Although the emancipation of slavery in America was commemorated in 1865, it would take years before African-Americans would gain true freedom given the systems of government, capitalism, and society disadvantaged black folk (ex. Jim Crow laws). Juneteenth is a celebration of black freedom as well as a call to action to continue the fight against racism in our country.
Anniversary of the Stonewall Riot
June 28
The Stonewall riots were a series of spontaneous demonstrations by members of the gay community in response to a police raid that began in the early morning hours of June 28, 1969, at the Stonewall Inn in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of New York City.
During the 1960s and 1970s, it was illegal to be openly gay/transgender. Gender and sexuality was literally policed and officers could stop you and arrest you for vague and broad charges such as "public indecency," or "disturbance of peace." During this time, police also raided underground gay bars, the only space that LGBTQ+ folk felt safe to be with other LGBTQ+ folk and in community. After consistent and relentless police raids, one day the LGBTQ+ community had had enough and decided to take their stand against this systematic oppression and thus the Stonewall Riots came to the front of media and society. Learn more about it the links to the right!
