Overview
June is LGBTQ+ Pride Month! Since it was first recognized on a federal level in 1999, Pride Month has served as a time to celebrate the LGBTQ+ pioneers who fought for equality through art, culture, civic action, community service, and more.
The month of June was chosen to commemorate the anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising, which began on June 28, 1969, when New York City police officers raided a tavern in Greenwich Village called the Stonewall Inn,(Open external link) which was known for its support for the City’s LGBTQ+ community. The resulting clash would continue for six days in the surrounding neighborhood, as protesters sent the emphatic message that the LGBTQ+ community was ready to fight for their right to exist and live openly without fear of arrest.
The next year, in June 1970, bisexual activist Brenda Howard organized the first Gay Pride Week and the Christopher Street Liberation Day Parade(Open external link) along with a committee of other activists. Her parade evolved into the New York City Pride March(Open external link) that continues to this day, and which will mark the 55th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising in 2024. Howard’s original parade has also inspired similar celebrations across the country and around the world.
Today, paradegoers are surrounded by rainbows, which have become a symbol for the LGBTQ+ community thanks to the original pride flag(Open external link) designed by the artist Gilbert Baker in 1978. Baker’s original flag, which has since been modified from eight to six stripes, has inspired the creation of many others, including the Progress Pride flag,(Open external link) which was created in 2018 by by nonbinary artist Daniel Quasar. Qasar’s design represents diversity and inclusion with the addition of black and brown stripes to represent marginalized LGBTQ+ people of color, as well as the triad of blue, pink and white from the trans flag.
The theme of NYC Pride for 2024 is “Reflect. Empower. Unite,”(Open external link) which draws upon “the activist history that ignited the movement for LGBTQIA+ rights [to encourage] individuals, advocates, community leaders and allies to reflect on the challenges they have overcome together and empower them to take action in shaping our collective future.”
We hope you will join us in celebrating the rich and diverse history of the LGBTQ+ community, both at home in New York and around the world. Throughout June, and all month long, we encourage you to learn more about LGBTQ+ history and history-makers, as well as the ongoing fight for equality, by checking out the resources below, which include events, exhibitions, lesson plans, recommended reading, and more, for use both in and out of the classroom.
Student Supports
The New York City Department of Education supports lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer or questioning (LGBTQ+) students, families, and staff across the five boroughs through a variety of policies and programs. For more information, please see our LGBTQ+ Supports page, which also has more information about the Yankees-Stonewall Scholarship for graduating NYC seniors, as well as our Community-Based LGBTQ+ Organizations page. If you have LGBTQ+-related questions or need support at your school, contact LGBTQ@schools.nyc.gov.
