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Celebrating Pride Month

Posted on Jun. 7, 2022  /  Subscribe 0

Happy Pride Month! Each June, we honor those who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer/questioning, recognizing the LGBTQ+ community’s challenges and reasons to celebrate.

Why June?

Early in the morning of June 28, 1969, New York City police raided the Stonewall Inn, a bar considered a haven for the local gay, lesbian and transgender community, including people of color and homeless LGBT youth. Raids, harassment and arrests at gay bars and clubs were common, as homosexuality was considered a crime throughout the U.S. at the time.

This time, however, the patrons did not go quietly. They fought back against the harassment, sparking violent clashes and protests outside the bar and in neighboring streets for several days and nights after the initial raid. The protests provided gay activitists in New York and elsewhere an opportunity to share information, build community, and strengthen the movement for gay rights. A year later, the nation’s first large-scale Pride March took place in New York City to commemorate the Stonewall Uprising.

(Sources: History.com and The Daily Beast)

How to Celebrate

There are countless ways to celebrate Pride Month. Here are some ideas for you and your organization:

• Participate in a Pride event. In Detroit, Motor City Pride is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year with a festival starting Saturday, June 11 and a parade on Sunday, June 12.
• Volunteer and/or donate to a local nonprofit that supports the community. Some local to Detroit include the following.
  • Area Agency on Aging
  • Affirmations
  • Equality Michigan (EQMI)
  • LGBT Detroit
  • Ruth Ellis Center
  • Sage Metro Detroit
  • Transgender Michigan
• Join or establish an LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Group at your organization.
• Read literature by LGBTQ+ authors: check out this great reading list from the Human Rights Campaign.
• Learn how to be an effective ally: the Human Rights Campaign and GLAAD have information and ideas.

Resources

• CDC (youth resources)
• GLAAD
• The Trevor Project
• Human Rights Campaign
• Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender National Hotline: 1-888-843-4564
• New York Times: “The ABCs of L.G.B.T.Q.I.A.+”

By: PRSA Detroit’s Diversity Committee

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