Check your biases and privilege regularly. Don’t be afraid to dive into those tricky conversations – they can be super enlightening!
JOIN THE FUN
Show your support by shopping at LGBTQ+ businesses and helping out with local organizations. Volunteer, attend events, and vote for LGBTQ+ rights!
SPEAK UP & STAND OUT
Don’t let prejudice slide. Call out antiLGBTQ+ comments, whether you hear them in public or private. Your voice matters!
SHARE THE SPOTLIGHT
Being a true ally means stepping aside sometimes to let LGBTQ+ voices shine. Give them the space to be heard and celebrated.
LGBTQ+ PRIDE MONTH? What is
This month seeks to raise awareness in society from a positive stance on the rights of the LGBTQ+ community, as well as to promote safe spaces where inclusion prevails and violence and discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) people are eradicated.
The month is dedicated to promoting equal rights, as well as increasing LGBTQ visibility as a social group while celebrating sexual diversity and gender variance.
CALLED “PRIDE”? Why is it
Pride, as opposed to shame and social stigma, is the perspective that drives most LGBTQ+ rights groups and movements around the world.
CELEBRATED IN JUNE? Why is it
On June 28, 1969, police raided a gay bar in New York City known as the Stonewall Inn. The event sparked a series of riots by people in the LGBTQ+ community, constituting the major event leading to the gay liberation movement and the modern fight for LGBTQ+ rights in the US.
The month of June was chosen to honor and commemorate those Stonewall riots.
CELEBRATED? How is it
LGBTQ+ Pride Month events attract millions of participants from around the world each year. Today, the celebrations include parades, marches, parties, concerts/shows, workshops, among other activities that take place in different nations.
LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY Fun facts about the
DIVERSTIY
Did you know that over eight million adults in the US identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual? That’s about 3.5% of the adult population!
3.5%
Nine million Americans – roughly the population of New Jersey – identify as LGBTQ+.
HARVEY MILK
Harvey Milk was a trailblazer! He made history as the first openly gay person elected to public office in California, paving the way for countless others.
LARGEST PARADE
Move over, Carnival! São Paulo, Brazil, hosts the world’s largest Pride Parade, with a whopping 3.5 million attendees in 2011. That’s a lot of love in one place!
THE FIRST FLAG
The rainbow flag, a vibrant symbol of gay pride, made its debut at the San Francisco Pride Parade in 1978. Harvey Milk, an iconic figure, asked his good friend Gilbert Baker to design a unifying symbol for the gay community. And voila, the rainbow flag was born!
LAMBDA
Before the rainbow flag stole the show, the Greek Lambda symbol was a popular gay rights emblem. It was proudly used by the Gay Activists Alliance as a sign of unity and strength.
