Jobaaj Stories
June is celebrated as Lgbt Pride Month 2023. But why? What is the history behind this? And what is it all about? Well, June is celebrated as Pride Month to commemorate the lives of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and queer communities.
The history of Pride Month dates back to the 1900s when a community of gays and lesbians, was created by Henry Gerber. Even after this establishment, they were not able to get equal representation in society as demanded. Thus, a riot broke out in 1969 at the Stonewall Inn when the New York Police Department raided it and also dragged the patrons and employees.
And by the time these riots ended on June 2, 1969, the matter had already escalated and had become the first-page news. In 1970, on the first anniversary of the Stonewall Riot, the activist marched through the streets of Manhattan.
These activities came to be known as the Gay Pride Parade. Over the years, this spread across the world in different countries. And finally, in June 2000, President Bill Clinton officially designated the month of June as Gay and Lesbian Pride Month. Further, in 2009 President Barack Obama made the name inclusive, naming it Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month. He even inaugurated the Stonewall National Monument, a 7.7-acre area around the Stonewall Inn.
Countries Recognizing the Pride Month
The Supreme Court of US legalized the same-sex marriage in 2015, in all 50 US states. In India, transgenders were given official recognition in 2014 as the third gender. In 2017 the Supreme Court recognized sexual orientation as a protected fundamental right. And fast forward to 2023, the supreme court is hearing the petitions about same-sex marriages in India.
Below are some of the countries where same-sex marriages are legalized:
Costa Rica legalized it in 2020, Northern Ireland, Ecuador, Taiwan, Austria in 2019, Australia, Malta, and Germany in 2017. Further, in 2015 same-sex marriage was legalized in the US. The first country to get legalized was The Netherlands in 2000.
One should note that though India has still not legalized same-sex marriage, it still recognizes June month as Pride Month. Apart from India, countries like the UK, Canada, Brazil, Austria, Ireland, and New Zealand also mark June as the month of Pride.
