Wander through any downtown neighborhood in June, and you'll see the iconic Pride flag hung proudly from windows and flagpoles. It wasn't always so. Celebration of the LGBTQ+ community has now been a popular occasion for over fifty years in American cities, from New York to San Francisco. Over the decades, the raucous jubilations, massive crowds, and risqué outfits have become a source of fun and frivolity to those participating – a day to let loose.
Yet, behind the colorful costumes, all-leather outfits, and pride t-shirts, there's a deeper story. Pride is a celebration today, but it was once an almost revolutionary act.
The first Pride march was held in New York City on June 28, 1970. Officially known as the Christopher Street Liberation Day March, there were no pride flags or police protection, just a few thousand participants walking the 50 blocks downtown. Led by Craig Rodwell, Fred Sargeant, Ellen Broidy, Linda Rhodes, and Brenda Howard, the event marked the first anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising – when police officers invaded a gay club in Greenwich Village, leading to citywide riots and protests.
Such acts were nothing new; the response was. It marked a turning point for the LGBTQ+ community, sparking the early Pride marches and, eventually, a movement spanning five decades.
While the then-police chief, Edward M. David, proclaimed he'd soon allow "thieves and burglars" to parade in the Pride community, the first event was a wild success. With last-minute court approval, 1,169 folks began the march at 7 pm.
Such was the reaction that events sprung up in Boston, San Francisco, and elsewhere on the same day the following year. The genie was out of the bottle.
From the start, it was an overtly political event. More than just celebrating the LGBTQ+ community, it advocated for them. Opportunities to register queer people to vote, groups like ACT UP demanding HIV action, and politicians announcing the public support meant that behind the fun was a focus.
In 1978, Gilbert Baker, an American veteran, artist, and gay rights activist, created the now-iconic rainbow gay pride flag. Under his initial vision, the colors signified the movement: pink for sex, red for life, orange for healing, yellow for sunlight, green for nature, light blue for magic, dark blue for serenity, and lastly, purple for spirit.
Like buses and trains, historical events often come in pairs: It was in the same year the legendary Harvey Milk, the first openly gay San Francisco city supervisor and friend of Baker, was sadly assassinated.
No hateful act could turn back the clock. Within another decade, the first international Pride event was held in South Africa, and a year later, in 1991, the first official Black pride parade was held in Washington, D.C.
The '90s continued to be a historic time for the LGBTQ+ community; Clinton declared June to be Gay and Lesbian Pride month in 1999; and, in 2001, the Netherlands was the first country to recognize gay marriage legally; Canada followed in 2005. America would need to wait until 2015 for all fifty states to recognize such unions.
As we celebrate 52 years of the Pride movement – decked out in our pride t-shirts and flags – it's important not to forget the radical early days. It is a day to stand proudly in defiance of those who seek to divide and in solidarity with those who still dream of a better world.
Celebrate Pride month with us!
References:
https://www.them.us/story/the-complete-history-of-pride
https://www.unifrog.org/know-how/the-history-of-pride
https://www.timetoast.com/timelines/the-evolution-of-gay-pride
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/16/us/gay-lgbt-pride-march-history.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recognition_of_same-sex_unions_by_country#United_States