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Birth of the U.S. Gay
Rights Movement
Recognizing Pride Month
Since 1970, LGBTQ+ people and allies have continued to gather every June to march for equal rights, and
Gay Pride events have multiplied. Today, New York City, São Paulo and Madrid host some of the largest events in the world that attract up to 5 million people. Annual Pride events take place around the world from Albuquerque, New Mexico, to Zurich, Switzerland.
In 1999 and 2000, President Bill Clinton officially declared June Gay and Lesbian Pride Month. Then, between 2009 and 2016 and each year he was in office, President Barack Obama expanded the observance and declared June LGBT Pride Month. In 2021, President Joe Biden recognized June as LGBTQ+ Pride Month.
50 Years of Progress
We’ve come a long way since 1969, but LGBTQ+ people still don’t have equal rights or treatment. Many continue to suffer adversity and injustice because of who they are and who they love. Today, 20 states fully prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, while 28 states don’t. Wisconsin and Utah only bar some types of discrimination. Worldwide, more than 70 countries have laws that allow discrimination or persecution of LGBTQ+ people. And even now in 2022, the Supreme Court is poised to overturn case law that could have a disastrous impact on the rights of those in the LGBTQ+ community. Pride events remain important because raising awareness can help inspire a more accepting, inclusive and equal society for all.
The Fight Continues
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Littler Celebrates Pride Month - 2022 | Littler Mendelson P.C.
Why Do We Recognize Pride Month?
Here’s why it’s important to celebrate LGBTQ+ Month and everything you need to know about this special month.
Pride Month recognizes the accomplishments of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) individuals, as well as the decades they’ve spent struggling for basic civil rights under the law. The 1950s and 1960s were extremely repressive for LGBTQ+ people in the United States. During this time, people often equated homosexuality with mental illness, and in 1950, the State Department declared homosexuals to be security risks.
"Annual Reminders," some of the earliest protests organized by groups that supported sexual minorities were held to inform and remind Americans that LGBTQ+ people did not have the same basic civil rights protections. Annual Reminders began in 1965 and took place each July 4 in Philadelphia.
Early Beginnings
Pride Month offers an opportunity to learn about the LGBTQ+ community and the contributions it makes to our society and culture. According to Gallup research, 5.6% of U.S. adults identify as LGBT and 1 in 6 Gen Z adults identify as part of the LGBT community. Pride events began as a way to achieve basic rights, legal protections and acceptance. Although obstacles still exist, progress made over the past 50 years has been significant. Because of those efforts since 1969, LGBTQ+ people have achieved greater legal protections and wider acceptance of same-sex marriage. In its 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges decision, the Supreme Court ruled that all states must recognize same-sex marriages.
On June 28, 1969, the Stonewall Riots ignited the modern gay rights movement in the U.S. The Stonewall Inn in New York City’s Greenwich Village was a gay club and refuge for the LGBTQ+ community. A police raid sparked a riot and protests among hundreds of patrons and neighbors. After six days of protests and violent clashes with law enforcement, the message was clear: The LGBTQ+ community would no longer accept being harassed or arrested over their sexual orientation.
A year later on June 28, 1970, thousands marched 51 blocks from the Stonewall Inn outside Christopher Street to Central Park in what was called “Christopher Street Liberation Day” to mark the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. It is now recognized as the nation’s first Gay Pride march.
