Why We Celebrate: The Story and Significance of LGBTQ+ Pride Month

Every June, streets across the globe burst into color. Rainbow flags wave from storefronts and balconies. Parades, marches, and festivals fill city blocks with music, joy, and unapologetic self-expression. It’s LGBTQ+ Pride Month—a time of celebration, remembrance, and resilience.

But amid the confetti and chorus of “Born This Way,” it’s vital to remember why Pride exists and what it stands for. It’s not just a party. It’s a powerful statement: We’re here. We matter. And we won’t be erased.

Let’s explore the origins of LGBTQ+ Pride Month, how it’s evolved over the decades, and why it continues to play a crucial role in the fight for equality and acceptance.

Pride Month: A Living Legacy of Resistance

Pride Month didn’t start as a celebration. It started as a protest.

The origin of Pride traces back to June 1969, at a time when being openly gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender was criminalized in most parts of the United States. Police routinely raided gay bars, arrested patrons, and harassed LGBTQ+ individuals simply for existing in public spaces. One of those bars was the Stonewall Inn in New York City.

In the early hours of June 28, 1969, police raided the Stonewall Inn—again. But that night, the patrons, many of them trans women, drag queens, and young queer people of color, decided they’d had enough. They fought back. The resistance lasted several days and became known as the Stonewall Uprising, a landmark moment in LGBTQ+ history.

Figures like Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, both trans women of color and tireless activists, played key roles in the uprising and in organizing the community in its aftermath.

What began on that summer night sparked a global movement.

The Birth of Pride Marches

To mark the first anniversary of Stonewall, LGBTQ+ activists organized the Christopher Street Liberation Day March on June 28, 1970. Thousands marched from Greenwich Village to Central Park in what became the first official Pride parade.

It wasn’t flashy. There were no floats or corporate sponsorships. It was raw, bold, and brave—a visible, public declaration: We will no longer live in shame.

As word spread, other cities began holding their own Pride marches, and by the mid-1970s, Pride events had become a vital part of LGBTQ+ life and activism across the U.S. and beyond.

How June Became Pride Month

June was chosen as LGBTQ+ Pride Month to honor the Stonewall Uprising and the activism that followed. Over time, local Pride marches grew into festivals, educational events, and memorials. Pride became a time not only to celebrate identity and love but also to:

Remember the struggle for basic human rights
Honor those lost to violence, hate, and the HIV/AIDS epidemic
Rally support for ongoing LGBTQ+ causes

In 1999 and again in 2000, President Bill Clinton officially declared June as Gay and Lesbian Pride Month. Later, President Barack Obama expanded the scope by declaring June as LGBT Pride Month, recognizing the diverse identities within the community.

Today, we use the more inclusive term LGBTQ+ Pride Month, acknowledging the full spectrum of gender and sexual identities.

From Protest to Celebration—and Back Again

Over the decades, Pride events have evolved. What began as grassroots protests grew into massive parades with elaborate costumes, music, and dancing. Corporate sponsorships, media attention, and celebrity participation followed.

This mainstream visibility brought benefits—greater awareness, normalization, and resources for the community—but also criticism. Some argue that Pride has become too commercialized, losing its activist roots.

In recent years, there’s been a deliberate effort to reclaim the political power of Pride. Activists are calling for Pride to refocus on urgent issues such as:

Anti-LGBTQ+ legislation
Transgender rights
Violence against LGBTQ+ individuals (especially trans women of color)
Youth homelessness
Healthcare and mental health access
Global LGBTQ+ persecution

Yes, Pride is a celebration. But it is also, and always will be, a resistance.

Symbols of Pride

Certain symbols have come to define LGBTQ+ Pride Month, each with its own powerful history.

The Rainbow Flag: Created in 1978 by artist and activist Gilbert Baker, the rainbow flag originally had eight colors, each representing a different aspect of queer identity and hope. Today, variations of the flag (like the Progress Pride Flag) include black, brown, pink, white, and blue stripes to represent LGBTQ+ people of color and the transgender community.
The Pink Triangle: Originally used by the Nazis to identify and persecute gay men, it has since been reclaimed by the LGBTQ+ community as a symbol of resistance and remembrance.
Pronoun Badges and Gender Identity Flags: As awareness of gender diversity grows, people increasingly display personal pronouns and fly flags that represent a wide range of identities—like the transgender, nonbinary, and asexual flags.

These symbols are more than decorations. They are declarations of identity, resilience, and solidarity.

Pride Around the World

Pride Month is now a global phenomenon, though its expression varies greatly depending on the local social, political, and legal climate.

In countries like Canada, Germany, the UK, and Australia, Pride is widely celebrated with government support. In others—such as Poland, Turkey, Uganda, or Russia—Pride events are often banned or violently suppressed. Yet LGBTQ+ communities in these places persist, often at great personal risk.

One of the most powerful aspects of global Pride is its adaptability. In some countries, Pride is held in other months due to climate or political reasons—but the spirit is the same: to affirm the right of every person to live authentically and love freely.

Pride Is Personal

For many LGBTQ+ individuals, Pride Month is deeply emotional. It may be the first time someone feels safe to come out, attend a community event, or express their identity openly.

For others, it’s a time of reflection—on how far they’ve come, on those they’ve lost, and on the community they’ve built.

For allies, Pride Month is a call to action:

Listen and learn from LGBTQ+ voices
Speak out against bigotry and discrimination
Support inclusive policies and organizations
Celebrate your LGBTQ+ friends, family, and colleagues

Pride is not just for the LGBTQ+ community. It’s for everyone who believes in equality, human rights, and love.

Why Pride Still Matters

Pride Month continues to be a crucial part of the LGBTQ+ movement for several reasons:

Visibility Saves Lives
LGBTQ+ youth who see positive representation are more likely to feel affirmed and less likely to experience depression, anxiety, or suicidal ideation.
The Fight Isn’t Over
In many states and countries, LGBTQ+ rights are under attack—from bans on gender-affirming healthcare to “Don’t Say Gay” laws and beyond.
History Must Be Remembered
Knowing our past helps us understand our present. Pride keeps the memory of Stonewall, the AIDS crisis, and other key moments alive.
Joy Is Resistance
In a world that often targets queer people, living and loving openly is a radical act. Celebrating joy is not frivolous—it’s fuel for the fight.

What You Can Do

Whether you identify as LGBTQ+ or not, here are meaningful ways to engage with Pride:

Attend a local Pride event
Parades, rallies, art shows, film festivals—there are so many ways to show up and support.
Donate to LGBTQ+ organizations
Support groups doing essential work, especially for marginalized members of the community.
Educate yourself
Read books, watch documentaries, or follow LGBTQ+ creators online to expand your understanding.
Be an ally year-round
Pride is June, but advocacy is lifelong. Challenge homophobia and transphobia wherever you see it.

Pride Is Power

Pride Month is more than a calendar event. It’s a lifeline, a mirror, a movement. It honors the past while looking fiercely toward the future. It’s the drag queen on stage, the quiet teen coming out to a friend, the family flying a flag, the elder remembering those lost, and the activist demanding change.

No matter who you are or how you identify, there’s a place for you in Pride. Because at its heart, Pride is about truth. And when we live our truth, we build a better world—not just for the LGBTQ+ community, but for everyone.

Happy Pride. 🌈