How To Celebrate the LGBTQIA+ Community This Pride Month

Pride Month is celebrated each June as a way for LGBTQIA+ communities and their allies to celebrate the freedom to be themselves and commemorate the ongoing fight for equal rights.

The significance of Pride Month

• Pride Month is an important celebration of the LGBTQIA+ community's achievements while promoting visibility, equality, and acceptance. 
• The month originated from the Stonewall Riots that took place in June 1969, when police raided the Stonewall Inn, an infamous gay bar in New York City. The protestors demanded the Inn stay a safe establishment for queer people to exist and express themselves without fear of arrest. 
• Pride Month serves as a platform for LGBTQIA+ voices and stories, helping raise awareness about the community's diverse experiences, struggles, and accomplishments. It also offers and opportunity to advocate for equal rights for LGBTQIA+ individuals, and spark conversations about legal, social and political issues they face. 
• Pride Month started in the U.S., but has since become an international celebration, servicing LGBTQIA+ communities worldwide. 

LGBTQIA+ history

Pride celebrations this June 

• On the last weekend in June, New York City throws one of the world’s largest pride celebrations. On June 2t, LGBTQIA+ advocates, supporters, and allies will march down 5th Avenue into Greenwich Village, the site of Stonewall. Learn more about NYC’s pride events here.
• Provincetown, Massachusetts, has Pride Month celebrations from June 2-4. Known as P-town, 67% of visitors identify as LGBTQIA+, making it a hotspot for pride celebrations. Discover more about P-town’s pride celebrations here.
• Philadelphia is celebrating 50 years since its first pride celebration with a march on June 4: “Pride 365: Love, Light and Liberation.” Learn more about Philadelphia pride here.
• Washington, D.C., is holding a march on June 10 to celebrate the historic victories of the LGBTQIA+ community. Check out the Capital Pride Alliance’s website to learn more.

How to be a better ally 

Allies to the LGBTQIA+ community are frequently welcomed by advocacy leaders to celebrate the month. Pride is an event held by and for LGBTQIA+ people, so allies are encouraged to participate respectfully and responsibly. 

• Learn about the history of Pride Month, how it came to be, and the struggles along the way. 
• Be aware of the space designated for LGBTQIA+ people and the importance of having spaces solely for marginalized communities. 
• Learn about and respect the varying identities within the LGBTQIA+ community.
• Understand the intersectionality that goes into celebrating Pride Month and maintain your allyship year-round.
• Lastly, you can help break through the barriers the LGBTQIA+ community faces with one simple step: a vote. Your vote is your voice, and it's important to have that voice heard during this year's statewide elections.

Voting resources

Register to vote:

Verify your registration:

Get an absentee ballot:

Under 18? Pledge to register to vote:

Do you care about LGBTQIA+ issues? Be sure to vote!

(Photo credit: Flickr/Val C.B Photography)