What is GAY PRIDE?
June is GAY PRIDE month around the world!
It is traditionally celebrated the last Sunday of June, in most cities. Pride celebrations stemmed from the Stonewall Riots in New York City.
The Stonewall Riots were a series of violent conflicts between LGBT people and New York City police officers that began during a 28 June 1969 police raid, and lasted several days. They were centered at the Stonewall Inn and are widely recognized as the catalyst for the modern-day movement towards LGBT rights.
Gay pride or LGBT pride refers to a world wide movement and philosophy asserting that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals should be proud of their sexual orientation and gender identity.
Heterosexual people have sometimes asked me, “Why do you have to have a pride day? Why are you so proud? We don’t have straight pride day?” – It’s about not feeling ashamed of who we are. It’s about showing people our numbers, that we are in fact EVERYWHERE. We come in all shapes, sizes and colors.
Gay pride is about appreciating yourself and other members of our community for being different. GAY PRIDE means accepting yourself and celebrating who you are.Gay pride advocates work for equal “rights and benefits” for LGBT people. The movement has three main premises:
– that people should be proud of their sexual orientation and gender identity,
– that sexual diversity is a gift,
– and that sexual orientation and gender identity are inherent and cannot be intentionally altered.
Marches celebrating Pride (pride parades) are celebrated worldwide, and every year, the number of gay people and their supporters grows bigger and bigger! We’re here, we’re queer, you’d better get used to it!
Michael Snell
New Gay Travel Guide