The History of Pride
How Did Pride Begin?
Since its beginning, Pride has been a political event. And although it may
feel like a party today, protests have always been embedded in its very
reason for existing. Pride has always been a protest against unjust
systems, even when it is lighthearted and fun.
On a hot summer night in 1969, police raided the Stonewall Inn, a bar
located in New York City’s Greenwich Village that served as a haven for
the city’s gay, lesbian and transgender community. At the time, homosexual
acts remained illegal in every state except Illinois, and bars and
restaurants could get shut down for having gay employees or serving gay
patrons. Most gay bars and clubs in New York at the time (including the
Stonewall) were operated by the Mafia, who paid corruptible police
officers to look the other way and blackmailed wealthy gay patrons by
threatening to “out” them. Police raids on gay bars were common, but on
that particular night, members of the city’s LGBT community decided to
fight back—sparking an uprising that would launch a new era of resistance
and revolution.
Why Is Pride Still Important?
It is deeply important that there be a visible, supported, and joyous event telling people of the LBTQI+ community that it is a beautiful, diverse, supported, and welcome community, and one to be proud to be a member of, and one that deserves the rights and dignities of every human.