Pittsburgh's LGBT community celebrates Pride season in June
Every June, proud supporters of the LGBTQIA+ community join together all over the world to celebrate their identity.
This event is known as Pride, and is held every year to commemorate the Stonewall Rebellion of 1969 in New York City, according to GLAAD.
This historic event occurred in New York on June 28, 1969.
At the time of the rebellion, New York City had the largest gay population in the country, according to PBS.
The people of this community were forced into hiding by the homophobic and transphobic views of society, and could really only socialize at gay bars and baths.
However, these establishments were often raided by the police, as homosexuality was still a felony in almost every state.
This happened at the Stonewall Inn, a gay dive bar run by the mafia.
This bar had been raided before, and the patrons responded peacefully, according to PBS.
However, when the police raided on June 28, 1969, the patrons resisted arrest.
The rebellion was reportedly started by Marsha P. Johnson, a homeless transgender woman with a history of activism, according to Out History.
According to The Village Voice, Marsha said “I got my civil rights!” and threw a shot glass into a mirror.
This was later known as the shot glass heard round the world.
Crowds gathered in the streets and began violent protests that continued for a week, according to PBS.
The following year, marches commemorating the event took place in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Chicago.
Now, these pride marches are celebrated internationally during the month of June.
Pittsburgh holds its own festival, which will last from June 3rd to June 12th.
The event features Pride in the Street, which is described as “Pittsburgh’s largest dance party.”
It will take place on Liberty Avenue on June 11th, with tickets starting at $38.
Kesha will perform, and pansexual rapper Angel Haze will also appear.
Even after so many years and so many achievements in the fight for LGBTQIA+ rights, pride continues to be important.
“For so long, gays have been ambushed, and the fact that there is one place every year for accepting gays is monumental,” said GSA president Diosa Bahe, who has attended New York and Chicago pride (check this).
Even with the monumental ruling legalizing same sex marriage nationwide last year, the fight is far from over, according to Bahe.
Anyone wishing to learn more about the event can go to pittsburghpride.org.
Photo: GOOGLE IMAGES
