Marking the 50th Anniversary of Pride Month

2020 marks the 50th anniversary of Pride Month. Every June, since 1970, the LGBTQ+ community has gathered to march in peaceful protests to continue demonstrations for equal rights. However, Pride Month looks a little bit different this year.

According to the Human Rights Campaign, 2020 has already seen 15 transgender or gender non-conforming people fatally shot or killed by other types of violence. In 2019, the number was 26, the majority of whom were Black trans women.

This June, we want to especially emphasize the black LGBTQ+ community. With the recent murders of George Floyd and Tony McDade at the hands of police and the continuing fight against racism and police brutality ongoing in our country, we pay special respect to Black gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer lives.

THE HISTORY

In the late 1960s, the Stonewall Inn, a gay club, located in Greenwich Village in New York City was much more than just a bar to many. The Stonewall Inn welcomed everyone from drag queens to homeless gay youth. Those who felt they did not have a voice had one at the Stonewall Inn.

On June 28th, 1969, New York City police raided the inn. This police brutality and harassment fueled a full-on riot. Within hours, the streets were full of people who were throwing all types of objects at the police. The protests continued for five days, with more than a thousand people at various times participating in the riots. On June 28, 1970, thousands of people began marching in remembrance of the riot that happened the year before. June has since been celebrated as Pride Month in remembrance of the Stonewall Riots that summer in 1969.

TODAY

We see a strange parallel occurring as we are experiencing police brutality and peaceful protests taking place exactly 50 years later. Sometimes, it takes a situation so horrifying to enrage a fire in us large enough to say, “I’ve had enough.”

This June, not only do we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Pride Month, but we also celebrate the Supreme Court finally ruling in favor of the civil rights law, which protects gay and transgender workers from workplace discrimination. This landed a huge milestone and victory for the entire LGBTQ+ community!

Also this month, the Trump administration finalized a rule which would erase healthcare protections for transgender folks. This rule would have allowed hospitals, doctors and healthcare insurance companies to discriminate against LGBTQ+ individuals and deny them medical treatment. Until the Supreme Court’s decision, it was legal for more than 50 percent of the states to fire workers for the simple fact that they identified as gay, bisexual, or transgender.

And as the race protests surpass Day 32, we must remember that gender identity politics has its own place in the Black Lives Matter movement. Let us not forget that ALL Black Lives Matter.

Happy Pride Month to all! Remember to always keep fighting for change and equality. We encourage you to learn more about the Stonewall Riots and to learn more about organizations such as the Marsha P. Johnson Institute, The Okra Project and G.L.I.T.S. who continue to do their part to support Black trans lives.