Encouraging notes hang from the Free Mom Hugs tent during the Upstate Black Pride March and Festival in Greenville, South Carolina, on Saturday, June 29, 2024.

June 1 marks the start of Pride Month, kicking off a celebration of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) history, culture and resilience.

The first Pride parade took place in New York City on June 28, 1970, one year after the Stonewall Riots, and it was held alongside those in Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles as the inaugural protest march.

Here’s the history behind Pride month, how it began, and how it’s used to commemorate the lives of LGBTQ individuals today.

Pride Month stems from police harassment, Stonewall Inn riots

Until a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2003, homosexuality was considered a crime throughout the U.S. As a result, people who identified as LGBTQ would often meet in places targeted towards straight people, said Briona Simone Jones, an Audre Lorde visiting professor of queer studies at Spelman College in Atlanta.

One of these meetup spots was the Stonewall Inn, a private club-turned-bar on Christopher Street in Greenwich Village in lower Manhattan.

The New York police, who once had a now-disbanded Public Morals Squad, were known to harass people in the community, especially drag queens and transgender people, Jones told USA TODAY.

The NYPD even used a “three-article rule” in the 1940s and 1960s. Although the rule never became law, police often threatened arrest if individuals didn’t wear at least three pieces of clothing that matched the gender they were assigned at birth, Jones said.

Things took a turn on June 28, 1969 after the NYPD raided the establishment, but the patrons and a growing crowd decided to fight back. The five days of rioting, from June 28 to July 3, 1969, proved to be a catalyst for a national civil rights movement for LGBTQ community members.

Now, nearly 56 years later, the day is commemorated with a month-long celebration of parades, marches, and flags.

How one march led to an entire month of commemoration.

It took 30 years from the Stonewall Riots to the federal government’s recognition of Pride Month via a 1999 proclamation from former President Bill Clinton. Since then, two other presidents, Barack Obama in 2011 and Joe Biden in 2024, have issued further declarations to highlight the achievements of the LGBTQ community.

The White House’s formal acknowledgment took decades to come to fruition and involved organizing efforts and forming advocacy groups for gay, lesbian, and transgender rights, according to historian Stephen Petrus, director of public history programs at LaGuardia Community College.

How can allies be part of Pride Month?

One of the best ways allies can support their LGBTQ loved ones is by learning, said Nicholas Boston, an associate professor of media sociology at Lehman College and the City University of New York.

“Education is the best form of allyship," he told USA TODAY.

Petrus, from LaGuardia Community College, said those wanting to learn more can look into:

  • The Battle for Intro. 2: The New York City Gay Rights Bill, 1971 - 1986: Digital exhibit about the Gay Rights Bill, which took 15 years to pass.
  • Stand By Me: The Forgotten History of Gay Liberation: A book by Jim Downs about how LGBTQ individuals formed communities within churches and other organizations.
  • The Gay Revolution: The Story of the Struggle: A book by Lillian Faderman about the struggle for gay rights.

Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY’s NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Email her at sdmartin@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What is Pride Month and why is it celebrated in June?

Reporting by Saleen Martin, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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