Colorado State University

Pride Month, celebrated each June, was created to commemorate the Stonewall Inn Uprising, which is often pointed to as the spark of the modern gay rights movement. On June 28, 1969, police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in New York City. This was not an atypical occurrence; police often raided gay bars and areas where LGBTQIA+ people would gather to enforce anti-LGBTQIA+ laws, such as cross-dressing laws. On the night of the Stonewall Uprising, the community fought back against the arresting and ongoing mistreatment of LGBTQIA+ people. By the following evening, word had spread about the protest, and thousands gathered on Christopher Street around Stonewall. The protests and rioting that occurred over the next six days caught national attention and lit a spark for future queer rights movements and activism. The first Pride Parade was hosted one year later on June 28th, 1970, called the Christopher Street Liberation Day March, as a way to commemorate and honor the events of Stonewall and to provide a platform to celebrate LGBTQIA+ pride. Similar parades, parties, protests, marches, and resource fairs continue every year throughout June and the summer to carry on this tradition as what we now know as Pride Month.  

Source: About: Lesbian, gay, bisexual and Transgender Pride Month: Library of Congress. The Library of Congress. (2026). https://www.loc.gov/lgbt-pride-month/about/