Gay Pride Month, also known as LGBTQ+ Pride Month, is celebrated in June in commemoration of the Stonewall riots. The Stonewall uprising occurred in the early morning hours of June 28, 1969, at the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in New York City’s Greenwich Village. This series of spontaneous demonstrations by members of the LGBTQ+ community following a police raid marked a turning point in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights in the United States and worldwide.

The resistance to police harassment and brutality displayed during the Stonewall riots galvanized the LGBTQ+ community and led to the formation of various advocacy groups and the first Gay Pride marches. The first march took place on the anniversary of the Stonewall riots in June 1970 in New York City, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, and these events have since spread globally.

President Bill Clinton declared June as “Gay & Lesbian Pride Month” in 1999, and later, President Barack Obama officially recognized June as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month. The month-long celebration includes parades, festivals, educational and awareness events, and memorials for those lost to hate crimes or HIV/AIDS. It honors the impact that LGBTQ+ individuals have had on history locally, nationally, and internationally, and it serves as a reminder of the ongoing pursuit of equal justice and equal opportunities for LGBTQ+ people everywhere.