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IN FOCUS: ARTICLE |
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A Celebration of Pride
by Jim Trzaska, 06.26.01
It all started with a raid and a riot. In June 1969, New York City's Greenwich Village was the scene of much unrest among gays and lesbians in response to what they perceived to be oppression from local authorities. One night at the Stonewall Inn, police entered the bar, known for its gay clientele, under the pretense of searching for violations of alcohol control laws.
While making homophobic remarks, they began to eject patrons for no reason. This time, however, instead of dispersing, the group fought back. Gradually the crowd grew, and so did the number of police. Over the next three days, protests mounted, tempers flared, fires were started, and property was damaged. This marked the first time that LGBTQ people had publicly and unabashedly defended themselves, and it was liberating.
The following year, on the anniversary of what has come to be known as the Stonewall Rebellion, the newly organized gay community held a march to commemorate the event. More than 30 years later, this small but significant gathering has evolved into Gay Pride Month, a celebration of freedom and support for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people.
Today, there are not only gala parades in just about every city across the U.S., but also numerous other gay-themed events throughout the month of June. In New York and Washington, DC, there are film festivals featuring movies that deal with gay life and gay issues. San Diego sponsors a political rally as well as a Pride Concert. In Atlanta, an AIDS vigil is held to acknowledge and support those in the community that have been touched by the disease.
The athletically inclined can participate in the Pride Run held in San Francisco, a city with a large LGBTQ population that also hosts an annual "Domestic Partners Ceremony" in front of City Hall. Houstonians looking to celebrate can always find the center of the action by looking for the famous eight-and-a-half-foot disco ball that lights up the sky at one of the nation's few nighttime pride festivals.
Over the years, as the LGBTQ community has advanced and grown, so has Pride Month. Many different facets of gay life are represented. Youth groups such as the Houston Area Teen Coalition of Homosexuals (HATCH) and Massachusetts' SWAGLY (Supporting Worcester Area Gay and Lesbian Youth) are popular fixtures in their local parades, as are many gay-straight student alliances in most cities. Also, everyone is welcome to participate, no matter what his or her sexual orientation. Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) always has a strong and well-received presence at pride events, allowing straight people to show support for their gay friends and family members. Gay or straight, Pride Month has become a time to acknowledge and celebrate diversity, equality, and acceptance. |
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