Pride Month, celebrated annually in June, recognizes the impact that Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ+) individuals have had on local, national, and international history.

On June 28, 1969, police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay club in New York City, which sparked an uprising against the harassment and persecution of the LGBTQ+ community and the outlaw of discriminatory practices. The riots, called the Stonewall Uprising, lasted for days and marked the beginning of a collective effort to fight for equal justice and opportunity for the LGBTQ+ community.

On June 28, 1970, the first anniversary of the Uprising, thousands of people marched in New York City from the Stonewall Inn to Central Park to galvanize what became the gay rights movement and has evolved into the LGBTQ+ parades we now see annually in America and around the world. Traditionally, Pride month celebrations also include parades, picnics, parties, workshops, symposia, and concerts. Although more than 500 Pride-related events were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many cities will be able to resume their annual celebrations this year, with proper safety precautions in place.

Pride is often represented by the widely popularized rainbow flag. Each color represents an idea that resonates with LGBTQ+ people: red for life, orange for healing, yellow for sunlight, green for nature, blue for peace, and purple for spirit. Though the flag is intended to represent all LGBTQ+ people, at times, you will see modified versions of the flag that pull in light blue, pink, and white to specifically celebrate transgender people in the community, or brown and black to callout support for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) in the LGBTQ+ community.

We have pulled together a list of resources below to help you learn more about the LGBTQ+ experience:

• Visit the Library of Congress’s page dedicated to LGBTQ+ Pride Month:
  https://www.loc.gov/lgbt-pride-month/about/

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• Take a look at the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association’s Calendar of 2022 Pride Events to find one near you:
  https://www.iglta.org/Events/Gay-Pride-Calendar#pride-calendar

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• Check out Good Housekeeping’s list of LGBT books, and choose one to read this month:https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/entertainment/g27814264/best-gay-lgbt-books/

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• Visit the It Gets Better Project website to learn more about their campaign to uplift, empower, and connect LGBTQ+ youth:
  https://itgetsbetter.org/

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• Visit Diversity Best Practices to view their list of LGBTQ Organizations You Need to Know About:
  https://www.diversitybestpractices.com/news-articles/22-lgbt-organizations-you-need-know

• https://artsandculture.google.com/project/pride

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