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Pull out the rainbow flag and get ready to celebrate!
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By Matthew Christopher
 ummertime’s a great time to come out and show your true colors, and nobody’s more game to get in on the party than those who count themselves in as members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender crowd. In countless cities and towns across the nation, GLBT pride parades and rallies fill the streets and the city parks with a spirit of celebration, camaraderie, revelry and purpose. Rainbow flags fly high and proud, and the out-of-the-closet fashion statements are nothing short of fabulous.
But how did all this get started? Who decided that June would be Gay Pride Month and that the rainbow |  | | The rainbow flag remains a powerful and enduring symbol. |
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flag would become the community’s symbol of solidarity? When did it evolve from gay pride to GLBT pride, and why? While contemporary Pride events now sport an air of celebration, their origins stem from darker times.
On June 27, 1969, a pivotal moment in gay history occurred at the Stonewall Inn, a popular gay bar in New York City’s Greenwich Village. While purporting to enforce a rarely invoked alcohol control law, police raided the Inn, forcing patrons out into the streets, harassing and arresting several. But for many in New York’s gay community, this incident was the last straw. As police raids on gay establishments had been increasing, so too had the anger and frustration felt by the gay community. On the night of June 27, the pot boiled over and violence erupted. The ensuing riot and demonstrations became known as the Stonewall Rebellion, and marked the beginning of a unified movement among gays and lesbians to organize in defense of their civil rights.
In subsequent years, the Stonewall Rebellion was commemorated each June in New York and Los Angeles with rallies and gatherings. But the spirit of revolution and liberation would not be confined to the two coasts for long. Gay pride events began springing up in cities and towns all across the country. In addition to functioning as | | | GLBT pride events celebrate the core principles of diversity and civil liberties upon which this country was founded. | |
forums for political organizing and community building, these gatherings evolved into all-out bashes, complete with parades, music, comedians, speakers, souvenirs and a once-a-year permission slip allowing gay and lesbian citizens to walk down the streets of their town being openly their true selves.
Ubiquitous at any pride event is the brightly colored rainbow flag. Conceived in 1978 for the San Francisco Gay and Lesbian Freedom Day Parade, the flag’s design was influenced by symbolism from both the hippie movement and the civil rights movement. Designer Gilbert Baker created the flag to stand for diversity, unity and celebration. The rainbow flag remains a powerful and empowering symbol to the GLBT community to this day.
During the 1990s, as the concept of political correctness was sweeping the land, gay and lesbian organizers realized that a political and social movement that specifically addressed the concerns of homosexuals may have inadvertently excluded members of other gender- or sexuality-based minorities. The word gay as the organizing principle for pride events slowly morphed to GLBT. This inclusive term is now widely accepted to refer to the not-strictly-straight population.
As our culture continues to move forward with the legalization of gay marriage in some states, GLBT Pride events continue to celebrate the core principles of diversity and civil liberties upon which this country was founded.
All that — plus a great excuse for a party!
Matthew Christopher writes frequently about GLBT issues.
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How would you feel about your date using a Groupon (or some other discount deal) to pay for your date? |
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14% |
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Mortified that the other person seems so cheap |
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34% |
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I really don’t care one way or the other |
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52% |
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Totally support it… after all, dating is expensive! |
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