The Ultimate Guide To Celebrating Pride Month
Happy Pride Month! As June rolls around, the world embraces the vibrant and empowering celebration of Pride Month.
Across the whole month, people across the world come together to honour the progress made towards equality, and to advocate for LGBTQ+ rights.
This important month is a time where individuals of all sexual orientations and gender identities come together, proudly wave their rainbow flags high, and stand in solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community.
Pride Month reminds the world that love knows no boundaries, with colourful parades, marches, important discussions and uplifting events taking place across the UK and beyond.
Pride Month promises to be another memorable and empowering time of year for everyone involved, and with our ultimate guide you can find out everything you need to know!
History Of Pride Month
Every year Pride Month is celebrated in June to honour the 1969 Stonewall Riots in Manhattan, which were a series of events between police and LGBTQ+ protests which took place over six days.
The Stonewall Riots were not the first instance of police brutality in a gay bar, nor was it the first time that members of the community fought back against violence.
However, the events that unfolded in 1969 transformed the gay liberation movement and the fight for LGBT+ rights and equality, not only in America, but within the UK and other parts of the world too.
Despite the significance of the Stonewall Riots which still have a lasting impact today, it wasn’t until 30 years later in 1999 when President Bill Clinton declared June “Gay & Lesbian Pride Month.”
In the UK, the first Gay Pride march took place on the 1st July 1972, which was inspired by the 1969 Stonewall Riots in New York, where around 2,000 people attended.
Marches and rallies took place in London every summer until 1981, when Pride took place in Huddersfield to support the queer community who were protesting against West Yorkshire Police, for repeatedly raiding the infamous Gemini Club.
In 1983 the march became known as ‘Lesbian and Gay Pride’, and now over 40 years on, there are huge annual Pride events which take place across every corner of the UK, as well as many parts of the world.
To learn more about the history of Pride Month and the Stonewall Riots, head to History.com.
Why Is Pride Month Important?
It cannot be understated just how important Pride Month is, not only does this month commemorate the Stonewall Riots, which were the catalyst for LGBTQ+ activism within the 20th century, it also serves as a reminder that there is still so much to be done.
Whilst there has obviously been significant progress since the Stonewall Riots, it wasn’t until 1992 when The World Health Organisation declassified homosexuality as a mental illness, and then in 2008 it became illegal to encourage homophonic hatred.
Before homosexuality was declassified as a mental illness 31 years ago, members of the LGBTQ+ people received controversial treatments in an attempt to cure their sexuality.
Some other important figures for LGBTQ+ rights is that in 2012, same-sex marriages were legalised in the UK.
If you take a closer look at that date, it was only 10 years ago that gay and lesbian couples could legally get married to the person that they love.
And, it was only two years ago in 2020 that same-sex marriage became legalised in Northern Ireland which is another shocking figure.
So, why is Pride Month important? It may be a celebration, but It’s also a time to remember just how far we’ve come in terms of LGBTQ+ rights, and to promote acceptance and equality for all regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Pride Month is about raising awareness of the current issues affecting the LGBTQ+ community.
We may have come a long way, but there is still so much that could be done, in every part of the world.
Whilst laws may have changed in the UK, not everyone’s attitudes and treatments towards LGBTQ+ individuals have.
Which is why celebrating Pride Month and supporting members of the community is vital, as well as standing up against transphobia, homophobia and biphobia.
How You Can Celebrate
As we’ve discussed, Pride Month is an important opportunity to raise awareness about LGBTQ+ history and commemorate the civil rights struggles, and the ongoing fight for equality.
Aside from highlighting the progress which has been made, Pride is also a time for celebrating queer identity, having fun, educating yourself and ensuring that everyone can love freely and be their authentic selves!
No matter whether you’re a member of the LGBTQ+ community, or you’re an ally wanting to get ready to celebrate, there are plenty of ways you can get involved with Pride Month .
To give you some inspiration, we’ve listed below different ways you can honour Pride Month this June.
1. Educate Yourself
If you’re wanting to get involved with Pride Month , you should first and foremost ensure that you’re aware about the history of the LGBTQ+ community and their fight for equality.
We’ve talked a little bit about the history of Pride Month and the Stonewall Riots, as well as the history of LGBTQ+ rights in the UK, but we’ve only touched the iceberg, there is still so much to learn!
It’s important to educate yourself about the issues that the LGBTQ+ community have faced and still continue to face in this day and age, as well as learn more about the importance of Pride.
A few ways you can educate yourself include reading information online or in books, listening to podcasts, watching documentaries, as well as actively listening to members of the community and their stories.
2. Attend A Pride Event
One of the most well-known parts about Pride Month is the colourful events and parades which take place within June, within the UK and other countries.
This year, a great way to celebrate Pride Month is by attending a Pride event within your university city or town, or even travelling elsewhere to celebrate there, there’s so many events and festivals to get involved with.
Regardless of whether you identify as a member of the LGBTQ+ community or not, you can still grab your rainbow flag, put on your best outfit, and join the celebration and fight for widespread equality!
Homes for Students will be attending the Liverpool Pride on the 29th of July and Bristol Pride on the 8th of July, we hope to see you all there.
3. Host Your Own Pride Event
Pride Month takes place across 30 days, so you don’t have to limit yourself to just events and festivals, you could also host your own event at home.
To host your own Pride event, you could get together with your besties, decorate your student home with rainbow flags and decorations, dress to impress, whip up some signature dishes and cocktails and put together a Pride-themed playlist.
This is also a great opportunity for members of the LGBTQ+ community to share their stories and experiences with others, so that people can learn from them and continue the fight for equality.
For those living within our student accommodation, you can host your own Pride event using our residents app, KLIQ.
If you want to celebrate from the comfort of your student home, there’s plenty of virtual events you can get involved with too!
4. Be An Ally All Year Round
Getting involved in the community and showing your support for Pride Month is great, but it’s important that you carry on with your ally ship all year round, not just in June.
Being a good ally is about taking action and standing up against mistreatment towards the LGBTQ+ community including transphobia, homophobia and biphobia, both in-person and on social media.
As an ally, you should also challenge your own bias, stereotypes and assumptions, and rectify them, such as assuming people’s sexualities on how they portray themselves,, or even using the wrong pronouns for someone.
You can still make mistakes as an ally, it’s all about how you respond to your mistakes and the actions you take to improve!
There are many different ways you can be an ally to the people in your life who identify as LGBTQ+, or just support the community as a whole.
Most of all, it’s ensuring that they can live and love freely, and feel comfortable to live authentically.
Do your part in helping to fight against the stigmas and inequalities that still exist for the LGBQT+ community!
5. Volunteer Or Donate
What could be a better time of year than LGBTQ Pride to donate to LGBTQ+ charities or volunteer your time?
There are so many amazing charities out there which provide safe spaces for members of the community to connect, share their stories, to live authentically and to thrive.
If you’re in a position to do so, you could donate money or volunteer your time to amazing charities such as Stonewall, The Proud Trust, MindOut and Galop to name a few, although there are tons out there!
By donating or volunteering to charities such as these, you can really make a difference and help support the work that they carry out.
Supporting and buying from LGBTQ+ owned businesses is also a great way to support the community.
6. Spread The Word
Aside from doing your own research and education yourself, you can also spread the word to others about LGBTQ+ history, issues and rights, whether it’s sharing your knowledge with friends, family or classmates.
By having open conversations, addressing misconceptions and encouraging others to be accepting and supportive, you’re helping to create a society where everyone regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity can be treated equally.
You can also help to share your knowledge and support LGBTQ+ individuals by sharing posts, images, and videos related to Pride Month on social media. You could use hashtags such as #Pride or #PrideMonth.
There we have it, our guide touched upon all things Pride, including a brief history, why it’s important, as well as how you can celebrate and support the LGBTQ+ community.
We hope you have a fabulous month filled with celebrations, but remember that Pride is a time for spreading awareness and education, and fighting for equal rights for all!
Read next: How To Support The Mental Health Of LGBTQ+ Individuals.