SEATTLE — June is LGBTQ Pride Month with events and celebrations all around the world. But what is the history behind it and why do we celebrate in June?
Pride Month grew as a way to celebrate members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer community in the face of the discrimination and violence many have faced and continue to face.
June was selected to commemorate the Stonewall Riots in 1969.
Police routinely raided gay bars in New York throughout the 60s, but officers lost control of their raid on the Stonewall Inn in late June 1969. The Inn was one of the rare places accepting of members of the gay community.
Protests continued over weeks, and it led to a movement from within the community of encouraging people to be open about their sexual orientation without fear of arrest.
More and more cities are launching events for the whole family to celebrate the LGBTQ community throughout the month of June and beyond.
As we wrap up the first half of the month, here are just some of the events still scheduled around the Puget Sound region:
One of the biggest celebrations: Seattle’s 45th annual Pride Parade on Sunday, June 30th. Also:
-Pacific Northwest Black Pride is hosting a Color Me Proud event on Saturday June 29th
-Bellevue Family YMCA is hosting the Bellevue College Pride Festival on June 12th.
-Tukwila is hosting its first-ever Pride event on June 15th
-Renton is hosting Teen Pride June 22nd
-Olympia’s Capitol City Pride is June 23rd
-In Sammamish: The Sammamish Pride Art Exhibition is June 24th
And the celebrations continue beyond June!
JULY:
-Tacoma Pride is July 12-21, with the main event on July 13th. The main event is free, and features a performance stage, dance tent, kids zone, and beer garden.
AUGUST:
-The Everett Aquasox host their 2nd annual Pride Night August 22nd at Everett Memorial Stadium