Every June, the world explodes in rainbows. Cities glow. Brands pretend they care. And for thirty days, the LGBTQIA+ community is “seen.” But behind the parades, merch, and hashtags lies a truth we won’t let them whitewash:
Pride started as a riot. Pride is still a riot.
Before there were floats and drag brunches, there were broken bottles, bruised bodies, and bricks thrown in the name of survival.
Let’s rewind.
The Night That Changed Everything: Stonewall, 1969
It was the early hours of June 28, 1969. The Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in New York City’s Greenwich Village, was once again raided by police. That wasn’t new. Cops raided queer spaces constantly, harassing, beating, and arresting people for simply existing.
But this time, something snapped.
The patrons fought back. Led by trans women of color like Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, as well as butch lesbians, drag queens, Black and Brown queers, and homeless LGBTQ+ youth, the community said enough.
The uprising that followed raged for six nights. Queer people battled law enforcement in the streets. Crowds grew larger and louder. Stonewall wasn’t an isolated event—it was a spark, igniting a national movement for queer liberation.
Let it be known: the first Pride wasn’t a parade. It was an uprising against police violence and systemic oppression.
From One Night to a Movement
The year after Stonewall, on June 28, 1970, activists organized the first Christopher Street Liberation Day March in New York City to mark the anniversary. It wasn’t about rainbow boas or sponsorships—it was about visibility, solidarity, and rage.
That same year, marches were also held in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Chicago. The movement spread fast. And loud.
By the mid-1970s, more cities joined. More people came out—some for the first time. And slowly, Pride events evolved into annual commemorations. They remained political, radical, and unapologetically queer.
So Why a Whole Month?
In 1999, President Bill Clinton officially recognized June as Gay and Lesbian Pride Month. In 2009, President Barack Obama expanded the proclamation to include bisexual and transgender individuals, making it LGBT Pride Month.
Today, it’s widely celebrated as Pride Month—not because the fight is over, but because the legacy of that riot still demands recognition.
It’s thirty days to remember, resist, and rise. Thirty days to amplify our voices, especially those most marginalized. Thirty days to demand justice, equity, safety, and liberation—not assimilation.
But let’s be clear: we deserve more than a month.
And Pride isn’t a corporate marketing opportunity. It’s a call to action.
Don’t Mistake a Rainbow for Revolution
Now, every June, corporations drop rainbow logos like it’s a limited-time event. But where are they when trans people are denied healthcare? When anti-drag laws are passed? When queer youth are kicked out of their homes?
They profit off our culture while doing nothing to protect our lives.
Pride has been hijacked by capitalism.
It’s time we take it back.
We’re not just here for glitter and good vibes. We’re here because we’re angry. We’re here because we’re still not safe. We’re here because we carry the names of those who couldn’t make it this far—and we refuse to forget them.
We Celebrate. We Mourn. We Fight.
Yes, we celebrate. Joy is radical.
But Pride is also grief. It’s a memorial.
We remember those we’ve lost to hate crimes, to AIDS, to suicide, to systems that have always tried to erase us. And we fight—because those systems still exist.
- Trans youth are being legislated out of existence.
- Books are being banned.
- Drag performers are being criminalized.
- Healthcare is being restricted.
- Black and Brown queer folks are still disproportionately targeted.
If you’re not angry, you’re not paying attention.
If your Pride isn’t political, it’s not Pride.
What Pride Demands in 2025
- Show up to protest, not just to party.
- Support Black- and trans-led organizations.
- Speak up in your workplace, classroom, and community.
- Vote like queer lives depend on it—because they do.
- Educate yourself. And when you’re wrong, listen and grow.
- Make space for the most marginalized. Always.
Pride is a practice, not a weekend.
So This June—and Every Month After
Wear the glitter. Rock the flag. Kiss your lover in public if it’s safe.
But never forget: Pride is protest. Pride is power. Pride is political.
We come from a legacy of fighters, visionaries, rebels, and revolutionaries.
We are still here. Still rising. Still proud.
And we’re not going anywhere.
In Solidarity, Always
-Ryder
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