The latter half of the 20th century wasn't exactly the most appreciative of LGBTQ+ Americans. The banner reads 'The 1994 International March on the United Nations to Affirm the Human Rights of Lesbian and Gay People' (Getty Images) Gay bars, a hotspot for police raids A march to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, New York City, USA, 26th June 1994. It caused an uprising in its wake and led to major clashes between police and thousands of protesters, prompting a generation of activists into establishing a civil rights movement.
The Stonewall Riots, as it is now known, was a single revolution that paved the way for a paramount change when in 1969, Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in Greenwich Village, New York, was raided by the police. The media at the time would provide coverage based on the era's homophobic attitudes, which included absurd statements from law enforcement and inexplicable consequences if a gay person were to openly express their sexuality. There were no openly gay politicians or pop culture icons either.
In the late 1960s, being gay was still illegal in most states and not a single law safeguarded the rights of lesbian and gay people, neither did it protect them from discrimination. And as Taylor Swift famously sang in 'Welcome to New York', "You can want who you want, boys and boys and girls and girls." But amid all this celebration, freedom and rights, it's crucial for us to remember the march that started it all, and to commemorate those whose sacrifice and determination got us here. The month sees an abundance of festivities, with symbolic rainbow flags flapping high up in the wind and hoards of people taking to the street to not only express themselves but also to reinstate the fact that at the end of the day, 'love wins' above all else. June 1 marks the beginning of Pride Month, an essential inclusion in our calendar dedicated to the LGBTQ+ community and celebrating gay pride in all its ambient glory.