A look into the history of Pride Month
Every June, both members of the LGBTQ community and allies celebrate what’s known as Pride Month.
These celebrations commemorate the anniversary of the Stonewall Riots that occurred in June 1969.
The riots began with a police raid of the Stonewall Inn, an illegal gay club in New York City. According to History.com, New York, like the majority of America during the 1960s, was unwelcoming and unsafe to openly LGBTQ individuals.
Erika Lindström, the Gender and Sexuality Coordinator at the Utah State University Inclusion Center, said when considering this history, Pride is often incorrectly associated only with white, cisgender people.
“The roots came from civil rights,” she said. “A lot of the leaders that created the movements for the Black History Month and a lot of things like that were also some of the same leaders within the LGBT movement.”
The Brookings Institution supports this statement by reporting that Pride was started by people of color.
“One piece of history that frequently gets lost is the fact that many of these defining moments were only made possible by Black and brown LGBTQ+ activists fighting for their liberation,” the article reads.
One specific activist mentioned in the article is Marsha P. Johnson, a Black transgender woman who has been identified as one of the leaders of the resistance at Stonewall.
Johnson is said to have been integral to the LGBTQ movement and was an outspoken advocate for the homeless and those affected by AIDS.
But according to Lindström, the past isn’t the only time people in the LGBTQ community have faced struggles. Although Lindström hopes that someday Pride will be embedded in the way people live and love, she expressed concern regarding current issues.
NBC reported over 420 bills against LGBTQ community members have been introduced in 2022.
The Salt Lake Tribune also reported crimes targeting LGBTQ individuals have been on the rise.
In 2021, 42 LGBTQ people were the victims of reported hate crimes, the majority occurring during June. In comparison, the year prior saw a total of 22 crimes of intolerance.
This year’s Pride marked the first festival in Utah in three years due to COVID-19. According to ABC News, record numbers flocked to Salt Lake City to witness the grand parade.
But the celebrations don’t end there. Logan will be holding local celebrations and events year-round. More information on those upcoming events can be found here.
Due to most students being away for the summer, Logan’s annual Pride Festival will be held in September.
Outside of Pride Month itself, USU has been making policy changes to become a more inclusive campus.
Gender-neutral bathrooms will be part of all new buildings constructed on campus, and this upcoming school year will see the start of the new gender-neutral housing program.
Lindström extends an open invitation for all students to visit the USU Inclusion Center, where anyone can learn more about what resources are available to them.
-Asa.Strain@usu.edu
Featured photo by: Katera Barlow