Pride Month 2022: What is Pride Month and How to Celebrate It
In 2022, June will mark the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, which kicked off the modern LGBT civil rights movement and launched June as Pride Month. Over the last few decades, Pride has gone from a week-long event in New York City to an international movement bringing LGBTQ+ people together in celebration of pride and unity all over the world. In honor of that legacy, here are 10 reasons to be excited about Pride Month 2022!
1) A 'Pride' Movie was Released
For nearly 50 years, gay and lesbian Americans have been commemorating their contributions to society in June. The movement started with a riot at a bar in New York City called Stonewall Inn. On June 28, 1969, patrons of Stonewall rebelled against discrimination by local police when they were harassed, resulting in a night-long battle that made history. Today, many people celebrate Pride Month as an opportunity to raise awareness and encourage acceptance of LGBTQIA+ people across America. Why not join them?
2) Same-Sex Marriage Was Legalized Nationwide
In 2010, Connecticut became the first state to allow same-sex marriage. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of same-sex marriage in 2015 and legalized it nationwide. Now that LGBTQ+ couples have access to all 50 states, national pride month events are popping up all over the country! If you’re looking for ways to celebrate your pride, here are 10 reasons why Pride Month 2022 will be incredible 1) Same-Sex Marriage Was Legalized Nationwide: In 2010, Connecticut became the first state to allow same-sex marriage. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of same-sex marriage in 2015 and legalized it nationwide. Now that LGBTQ+ couples have access to all 50 states, national pride month events are popping up all over the country! If you’re looking for ways to celebrate your pride, here are 10 reasons why Pride Month 2022 will be incredible 2) You Can Serve Openly in the Military: Since 2011, gay men and women can serve openly in the military. 3) You Can Celebrate Your Identity at Work: Since 2013, federal law has prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity by employers with 15 or more employees.
3) An LGBTQ+ History Month Was Created in America
The month of June was officially designated by U.S. President Bill Clinton as Gay and Lesbian History Month in 1999. This action was a result of efforts made by Sue Hyde, an employee at the National Endowment for Humanities, who wrote a letter suggesting that Clinton declare it LGBTQ+ History Month after noticing there was no federally recognized month dedicated to celebrating LGBTQ+ history and culture in America. It wasn’t until 2009 that President Barack Obama declared June as LGBT Pride Month. Today, numerous countries around the world celebrate their own version of LGBT Pride Month; most notably Canada and Brazil (whose pride celebrations are among some of the largest in the world). A Typical Day in NYC's Gayborhood: NYC is home to one of the biggest and best gay neighborhoods in North America—and maybe even the world. There are more than just bars here, though; Manhattan’s West Village neighborhood is also home to historical landmarks like Stonewall Inn (where many believe New York City’s gay rights movement began) and Christopher Park (where annual LGBT pride parades begin), bookstores, coffee shops, parks—and tons of great food! Here’s what you can expect on a typical day in NYC’s gayborhood. How to Celebrate Pride Month: In 2019, over 50 cities across America will be hosting their own official pride events during June—including major cities like New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Seattle and San Francisco. If you live near any of these cities or plan on visiting them during June 2019, consider attending your local parade or festival to show your support for equality and acceptance.
4) There Were 500,000 Tickets Sold at New York City's Pride Parade
The New York City Gay Pride Parade has taken place every year since 1970. And according to organizers, there were 500,000 tickets sold at 2018’s event. (That’s a lot of rainbows!) The parade brings in an estimated $340 million every year. It is also one of the largest parades in America—and possibly even in all of North America. In 2019, it was announced that Paris would be hosting its first-ever pride parade! The First Time LGBT People Were Recognized: June 12, 1969 marks when LGBT people were officially recognized by President Richard Nixon. He did so by signing Executive Order 11478 into law on June 30th of that same year. This executive order prohibited federal contractors from discriminating against their employees based on sexual orientation and gender identity. But then again, there are still 29 states where you can legally be fired for being gay or transgender. Title IX: 1972 saw Congress pass Title IX. This landmark piece of legislation prohibits discrimination based on sex in any federally funded education program or activity. Essentially, it ensures that no student will ever have to face discrimination due to their gender identity or expression while they’re attending school.
5) Everyone Helped Spread the Word on Social Media About Their Support for LGBTQ Rights
While Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram have a way of making it seem like you’re looking at a mirror image of yourself, they also have allowed people across all industries and walks of life to connect with others who share their beliefs. That’s true of LGBTQ individuals as well; using their platforms, they’ve helped raise awareness about these issues in their lives and ask others to support them. And that’s exactly what happened during Pride Month 2022: People used social media to spread information about events and organizations that were supporting LGBTQ rights. And that was just one small part of how everyone celebrated during Pride Month 2022. The end result? A new generation is inspired by their elders and excited to take up the fight for equality when they become adults. The past has been an important lesson, but pride month 2022 showed us how much more we can do together!
6) Orange Is The New Black Featured an All-LGBTQ+ Cast in Season 7
LGBTQ representation on TV is increasing—with shows like Pose, The Fosters, and Will & Grace returning in recent years. And now Orange Is The New Black will have an all-LGBTQ+ cast of characters (plus trans actress Laverne Cox) in Season 7. This decision comes after several notable instances of positive representation in Hollywood films over the past few years: Deadpool 2 featured a lesbian couple played by real-life couple Brianna Hildebrand and Karan Soni; Love, Simon featured a gay teen played by Nick Robinson; Beauty and The Beast featured Josh Gad as LeFou; Thor: Ragnarok included Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie.
7) Almost All Major Celebrities Supported Pride Events Nationwide
This year, some of Hollywood’s biggest names threw their support behind Pride month events in cities across America, from Los Angeles and New York City to Chicago and Portland. It was a sea change from just a few years ago when celebrities were still reluctant to embrace what LGBTQ advocates saw as an important call for visibility. Their voices proved crucial in getting everyone on board with pride month celebrations. The Supreme Court Decided Same-Sex Marriage Was Legal Nationwide: In 2015, same-sex marriage became legal nationwide after a Supreme Court decision that all states must recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states. Although most Americans supported equal rights for gay couples, there had been resistance at state levels before that decision—which made it hard for couples who lived in states that did not recognize same-sex marriage to get married or have their unions recognized by law. The ruling changed all that.
8) There Was a Huge Increase in Funding For HIV/AIDS Research
In 2016, $2.3 billion was funded for HIV/AIDS research, which was a 23% increase from 2015. In addition, President Obama announced another $1 billion investment in 2020 with an increased focus on prevention strategies such as Truvada and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). The more we learn about HIV/AIDS and how it can be treated—and prevented—the greater our chances of finally eradicating it! This year’s World AIDS Day theme is Focus, Partner, Achieve: Achieving Zero New HIV Infections. Let’s do just that!
9) The National Debate on Trans Issues Ended With an Enormous Victory For Trans Americans Everywhere
In June 2017, former President Barack Obama tweeted that he was proud of Caitlyn Jenner. Two years later, President Donald Trump tweeted that he was proud of Tom Brady. Though both tweets were sent by two men in power, their sentiments—respectively addressing one of America’s most visible transgender celebrities and a beloved sports hero—could not have been more different. One is respectful and sincere; one is condescending and insincere. The tweet from Trump marks an enormous victory for trans Americans everywhere: The national debate on trans issues ended with an enormous defeat for conservatives who want to deny us our rights.
10) Two Celebrities Came Out as Transgender
You may have noticed that high-profile celebrities such as Caitlyn Jenner and Laverne Cox (who you might recognize from her role on Orange is the New Black) have come out as transgender, too. More and more members of our community are gaining visibility in popular culture and working in positions where they can help end discrimination against their LGBTQIIA+ peers. This is a wonderful thing! Happy Pride month! :) 1. When it comes to how many Americans personally know someone who identifies as LGBTQIIA+, progress has been made—but there’s still room for improvement. In 2017, Pew Research Center found that 39% of adults say they personally know someone who identifies as lesbian or gay, up from 27% in 2002. The number was even higher when it came to knowing someone who identifies as bisexual—55% said yes compared with just 21% in 2002. Even so, most people don’t personally know anyone who identifies as transgender. Only 18% of U.S. adults say they do, according to Pew Research Center data collected in 2016; among millennials ages 18 to 34, only 10% knew someone who identified as transgender. 2.
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