International Pride Month is an annual LGBTQIA+ celebration held every June. It’s a chance to celebrate LGBTQIA+ pride and liberation, while also taking the time to recognise the work that still needs to be done, given the discrimination the queer community still faces.

Why is Pride Month in June?

LGBTQIA+ Pride Month is held annually in June as it marks the anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. These riots took place on June 28, 1969 in the Greenwich Village in New York City, and were a crucial part of modern queer liberation.

This is one of the important reasons you’ll often see “Pride is a Protest” on social media. Pride Month literally started as a protest for LGBTQIA+ civil rights and equality!

What were the Stonewall Riots?

After a police raid at a New York gay bar named the Stonewall Inn, the LGBTQIA+ community took a stand, resisted arrest, and protested against the discrimination they faced by police.

At the time, homosexuality was illegal in the US, and venues could be shut down for having gay employees or serving gay patrons.

The Stonewall protests lasted for days, and are now widely considered to be a pivotal turning point in the fight for queer civil rights, in America and across the world. 

At the forefront of the riots were trans women of colour, like Marsha P Johnson and Sylvia Rivera – the latter of the pair was only 17 years old at the time. These activists played a pivotal role, as hundreds and sometimes thousands of people gathered in support of the queer community, chanting words like “gay power” and “we shall overcome”.

What about the origins of Pride Month in Australia?

Although there had been activism and protests in Australia prior, in 1978 Australia’s LGBTQIA+ community heightened its fight for equality  through a planned protest on “International Gay Solidarity Day” on June 24. 

This protest was planned by Gay Freedom Day Committee, a San Francisco based group, who called on Australian activists for a march of solidarity on the ninth anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. 

It was to oppose the controversial Briggs Initiative, which was trying to mandate the firing of gay and lesbian teachers in California public schools. Many of the protesters were arrested, with their names published in the papers – harming many of their lives and careers. 

This protest was the birth of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras as we know it today. It’s also why today you’ll see the Mardi Gras Parade being led by a group called “The 78ers” – these brave folks were the ones who were protesting that day.

Although the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras now takes place in February and March to coincide with our summer, these protests in June 1978 were a vital part of queer liberation here in Australia and why International Pride Month is so important.

How can you celebrate Pride Month?

As an LGBTQIA+ person, pride month is an empowering chance to celebrate YOU, your identity, and YOUR community! Wear rainbows, wave the pride flag, attend local events, engage with your community. However you choose to celebrate, remember: it’s YOUR Pride Month, so whether you celebrate loudly or quietly, it’s entirely up to you.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE LGBTQIA+ ACRONYM HERE

OR LEARN MORE ABOUT QUEER VISIBILITY HERE