Dictionary Com provided an in-depth look at Pride Month that includes the meaning of it, the historical significance, and associated words. It's all about welcoming everyone no matter how different or similar they are to you. We're all in this life together and we need to care and support each other. Today's blog provides Dictionary Com's look at Pride Month:
HISTORICAL & CURRENT EVENTS DICTIONARY PRESENTS PRIDE MONTH
WHAT IS PRIDE MONTH? A month-long observance in celebration of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people—and the history, culture, and contributions of these people and their communities.
It is not limited to people with these sexualities or gender identities. Pride Month also celebrates and is celebrated by those with a range of other identities considered outside of the cishet mainstream, including people who are intersex, nonbinary, asexual, pansexual, aromantic, two-spirit, or who identify in other ways or are questioning their sexual or gender identity or expression.
Different abbreviations often precede the name of the month, including LGBT, LGBTQ, and LGBTQ+, among others that are intended to be as inclusive as possible.
Pride Month is commonly called Pride for short, as in I can’t wait for Pride! The word Pride (note the capitalized P) is also used as a noun to collectively refer to events during this month or as an adjective in terms like Pride parade.
Pride Month is commonly celebrated with parades and other large, celebratory gatherings devoted to individual displays of pride and expression, including displays of the rainbow Pride flag and other flags representing people with different identities.
Such events also often serve as protests against the discrimination and marginalization targeted against people who identify in these ways. Pride Month traces its roots to such protests and specifically commemorates the event known as the Stonewall Riots or the Stonewall Uprising, which is often considered the start of the movement for gay, queer, and transgender rights.
When is Pride Month? Pride Month takes place every year in June.
The observance of Pride Month (and earlier events like Gay Pride Day) traces back to a parade held in New York City in 1970 to mark the one-year anniversary of what became known as the Stonewall Uprising. This event, sometimes referred to simply as Stonewall, started on June 28, 1969, at the Stonewall Inn, a New York City bar frequented by gay and gender-nonconforming people (at a time when terms like LGBTQ didn’t yet exist).
It began with a police raid on the bar—which at the time was a common occurrence supported by discriminatory laws. Police arrested several people, including gay people, drag queens, and transgender activists Marsha Johnson and Sylvia Rivera. Many of them resisted, sparking protests that lasted for the next several days, during which there were many incidents of police violence against the protesters. Though such resistance had occurred before, the Stonewall protests are widely thought to have increased the momentum of the movement for equal rights for members of LGBTQ communities.
Today, many Pride Month events are a combination of celebration and activism during which people show pride in identities that have made them and continue to make them the target of marginalization and oppression, including through discriminatory laws.
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WHAT DOES "CISHET" Mean? The term cishet (pronounced sis-het) refers to a gender identity as well as a sexual identity. This two-part identity means that a person is both cisgender and heterosexual. A cishet person identifies with the gender they were assigned at birth, and they choose romantic partners of the opposite sex.
“Should straight people attend Pride?” Yes. Of course! Cishet people are often welcomed to attend Pride events in a way that’s supportive and recognizes the history and ongoing struggle of LGBTQ communities and the individuals in them. Many cishet people are in relationships with or are the family members of the people that Pride Month celebrates and naturally attend with them.
MORE INFORMATION AND CONTEXT ON PRIDE MONTH
Did you know … ?
The first Pride march was organized in part by Brenda Howard, a bisexual woman sometimes known as the Mother of Pride. One of the largest Pride parades in the world takes place in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Marsha Johnson and Sylvia Rivera are remembered for their role in the Stonewall Uprising but continued to be leaders in the movement for equal rights and justice in the years after it.
What are other words used in discussion of Pride Month?
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