{"id":10367,"date":"2021-06-06T21:09:18","date_gmt":"2021-06-06T18:09:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mozartcultures.com\/en\/?p=10367"},"modified":"2021-06-06T21:09:18","modified_gmt":"2021-06-06T18:09:18","slug":"pride-a-month-long-celebration-of-the-lgbtq-community-history-diversity-and-love","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mozartcultures.com\/en\/pride-a-month-long-celebration-of-the-lgbtq-community-history-diversity-and-love\/","title":{"rendered":"Pride-A Month-Long Celebration Of The LGBTQ+ Community, History, Diversity, and Love."},"content":{"rendered":"

It’s June and it means happy LGBTQ+ Pride Month everyone!<\/em><\/p>\n

In 2021, we continue to celebrate and work for the improvement of LGBTQ+ rights all around the world. Most recently European Union declared the whole of the European Union as an “LGBTQ+ Freedom Zone”. While the work for equal rights and recognition goes on, life was not easy for LGBTQ+ individuals.<\/p>\n

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Photo by JOHN THYS\/AFP via Getty Images(1)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Not everything started at the Stonewall, but the movement has ignited first there and still continues. The first Pride stance was a protest outside the Stonewall Inn in New York in 1969, led by Black transgender women<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Pre-Stonewall LGBTQ+ Movement<\/h3>\n

In the US, the movements for LGBTQ+ rights started with the movement of the 1950s. Influenced by leftist politics a group of gay men founded The Mattachine Society. This Society lobbied for reform in-laws to recognize homosexuals as equal to heterosexual white men.\u00a0 However, this movement was never really accomplished what they want to achieve and they dissolved around the mid-60s.<\/p>\n

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Members of the Mattachine Society. Mattachine Society, 2017, Photo by James Gruber. (2)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

While the society was a failure, like other movements of the 60s, the Gay Pride Movement also moved to a more radical and violent stance. Young gays and lesbians of the era wanted a structural change for the recognition of rights.<\/p>\n

This is why the 60s Gay Pride movement was more inclusive in terms of identity, sexuality, and in terms of color. After while police began to raid gay bars all around the country. During those raids, white men generally not arrested while drag queens, butch lesbians, and drag queens are arrested violently.<\/p>\n

In 1969, especially after the death of Judy Garland, the crowd began to increase and people became more impatient against the raiding of the bars. Hence, The Stonewall riots.<\/p>\n

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Stonewall Riots and The Impact On The LGBTQ+ Movement<\/h3>\n

“At 1:20 a.m. on Saturday, June 28, 1969, four plainclothes policemen in dark suits, two patrol officers in uniform and Detective Charles Smythe and Deputy Inspector Seymour Pine arrived at the Stonewall Inn’s double doors and announced ‘Police! We’re taking the place!’ The music was turned off and the main lights were turned on. Approximately 205 people were in the bar that night. Patrons who had never experienced a police raid were confused. A few who realized what was happening began to run for doors and windows in the bathrooms, but police barred the doors. Michael Fader remembered: Things happened so fast you kind of got caught not knowing. All of a sudden there were police and we were told to all get in lines and to have our identification ready to be led out of the bar.” ( Carter, 2004)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

While these riots were not very unusual, the night of June 28th, at the Stonewall Inn in Manhattan, New York City, the first response was given for the LGBTQ+ oppression.<\/p>\n

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“When did you ever see a fag fight back?… Now, times were a-changin’. Tuesday night was the last night for bullshit… Predominantly, the theme [w]as, ‘this shit has got to stop!’” (Carter, 2004)<\/cite><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Many chanted “Gay Power” and sang\u00a0 “We Shall Overcome”. The Night of\u00a0 June 28th was the response to a long time of oppression and injustice and it still is the key movement for the all LGBTQ+ movement. While the police left in the end, this incident caused enormous support for the community. Starting from the next day, many parades held supporting the community and the fight for the injustices. It also opened a lot of new organizations.<\/div>\n
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A Gay Pride parade in London, July 6, 1996. Photo by Steve Eason\/Getty Images (3)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
While The Mattachine Society was among the first, their political stance and their approaches to the problems considered old and mild for many young LGBTQ+ individuals. Thus, Gay Liberation Front and Gay Activists Alliance have born. Parades and the marches after the Stonewall riots were the first forms of the Pride march.<\/div>\n
Beginning in 1970, Pride marches started not only in New York City but around the world in different countries. In 1999, Stonewall Inn became a national historic site by the decision of the United States government at the time. Following year the status changed as a historic landmark.<\/div>\n
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Even today, the importance and the effect of Stonewall Inn continues for the LGBTQ+ movement.<\/div>\n

Say Her Name: Marsha P. Johnson<\/h2>\n

Many leading figures of the Stonewall Riots were transgender women of color.\u00a0 Marsha P. Johnson became a symbol figure like Zazu Nova and Jackie Hormona as Stonewall veterans.\u00a0 Johnson became one of the first drag queens of Stonewall Inn, and one of the leaders of the movement on the night of June 28th and onwards.<\/p>\n

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The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson, Netflix (4)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Following the Riots, Johnson joined the Gay Liberation Front. However, the drag queens and transgender women often not liked by gays and lesbians of the group. Gays and lesbians of the group even banned Johnson and Sylvia Rivera from the Pride parade, because they believed “drag queens were giving them a bad name”.<\/p>\n

Following this, Johnson and Sylvia founded \u00a0Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR). This organization became a shelter for gay and trans street kids.\u00a0 Not only that but Johnson and STAR became a hope for trans and gender nonconformists and the people of color as the organizations helping projects continued.<\/p>\n

In 1992, just after the Pride parade, Johnson’s body has found on the Hudson River, and from the reports, Johnson’s head had a massive wound. Even though there were implications of violence, the case is closed and the cause of death ruled as suicide by the police.\u00a0 Since then, many worked to reopen the case, but justice was not found yet.\u00a0 Most recently, the documentary The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson (2017)\u00a0<\/i>shows the work for the reopening of the case.<\/p>\n

LGBTQ+ Pride 2021<\/h2>\n

There are no guidelines or structural rules for the Pride celebration. The important aspect is to be inclusive and respectful towards one another. Some are drinking and dancing in the parks, some are marching for equal rights and recognition and some are spending time with their friends and loved ones. If you want to support but not attend outside celebrations that is also an option. If you\u2019re looking for a place to donate, you can check these LQBTQ+ organizations and projects:<\/p>\n