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With today marking the first day of Pride Month, I thought it might be nice to just sit and talk about what Pride means.
Pride has always been more than rainbow flags and parades. It's personal, rooted in protest and resilience. We celebrate, yes, but we also remember that Pride began as a defiant uprising, a fight for our right to exist openly and safely. The history of Pride is written in the courage and struggles of earlier generations, and their victories guide us as we face new challenges today.
In June 1969, LGBTQ patrons of a small gay bar in New York City reached a breaking point. Tired of routine police harassment under discriminatory "cross-dressing" laws, they fought back during a raid at the Stonewall Inn. This riot, led by transgender and queer people who refused to be silenced, ignited the modern gay rights movement. The following year, activists commemorated Stonewall with the first Gay Liberation march in Manhattan, turning that protest into an annual tradition of visibility and activism. 5 replies
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The generations that followed continued this spirit of defiance. During the 1980s and 90s, the LGBTQIA+ community was ravaged by the AIDS crisis while governments largely ignored the suffering. In response, activists formed ACT UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power), a grassroots, queer-led movement that turned grief into direct action. They staged die-ins and marches, chanting "Silence = Death," to demand lifesaving treatment and smash the stigma. Thanks to their relentless protests and unity, ACT UP won major advances in medical treatment and health care access for people living with HIV/AIDS. Their courage saved countless lives and proved that our community fights for one another even in our darkest times.
While we've enjoyed these victories, we must also understand and recognize that the fight is far from over. Pride was, and still is, a riot at heart because each generation must protect and renew the freedom to live openly that our elders fought for. 1 reply
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