As summer begins, streets fill with color, music, and people showing up boldly as themselves which is exactly what Pride Month is all about. It is a time to celebrate, to reflect, and to stand in solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community. But Pride is more than a party. It is a movement with deep roots and a powerful story.
It all traces back to June 28, 1969, when patrons of the Stonewall Inn in New York City pushed back against a police raid and sparked one of the most significant civil rights movements in American history. Led in large part by Black and Latinx transgender women like Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, that moment of resistance became a rallying cry that still echoes today.
Since then, meaningful progress has been made. Marriage equality became the law of the land in 2015. Workplace protections were strengthened in 2020. But progress is not the same as arrival; LGBTQ+ individuals, especially transgender people and people of color, still face real barriers in housing, healthcare, and everyday life.
Being an ally means showing up beyond June. It means listening, learning, and advocating for the people in your life and community who deserve to live fully and freely.
To everyone celebrating this month, you are seen, you are valued, and your joy is worth honoring. Happy Pride
