First of all, I would like to take a step back and spend some time reiterating what Pride Month is and explaining a little bit of its history: context is always important people!
If you read my other articles on Art News, it will not surprise you to hear that, as Women’s Day and Black History Month, the first Pride was organised in the US. Homosexuality in the 1960s was still illegal in the majority of the 50 States of the US and dressing up as a member of the opposite sex was considered a crime. In New York City there were a couple of bars where gay people were feeling more comfortable in being their true selves and where, notoriously, the police were closing an eye. One of the main
gay bars was the
Stonewall Inn, in the Village. On the 27th of June 1969 the police entered and raided the bar, making several arrests, the crowd responded, confronting them. The following day the bar reopened and several people gathered in front of it showing solidarity with those who were arrested the night before. The riots in front of the bar lasted for several days and, the following year, on the 28th of June 1970 the first parade was organised in New York, setting off from Stonewall, and hundreds of people gathered together to show support and solidarity. The same year similar events were organised in other major US cities, Seattle, San Francisco, Boston and Chicago.
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