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Pride Month is celebrated every June to remember LGBTQ+ history, recognise the fight for equality, celebrate LGBTQ+ people and communities, and continue raising awareness about issues affecting LGBTQ+ people.
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Why June?
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The connection to June comes from the Stonewall uprising in New York City, which began on 28 June 1969.
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The Stonewall Inn was a well-known gathering place for LGBTQ+ people in Greenwich Village. Following a police raid, members of the LGBTQ+ community and their supporters protested and resisted over several nights.
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The events at Stonewall became an important symbol of the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement in the United States and influenced activism internationally.
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The first anniversary of Stonewall in June 1970 saw LGBTQ+ people gather in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago to commemorate the uprising. These events helped establish the tradition of holding Pride celebrations in June.
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Over time, June became widely recognised internationally as Pride Month, although Pride events now take place throughout the year in different countries and cities.
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What is Pride Month?
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Pride Month is a time to:
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Celebrate LGBTQ+ people, culture and community.
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Remember LGBTQ+ people and activists who came before us.
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Recognise the struggles and discrimination LGBTQ+ communities have faced.
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Raise awareness of LGBTQ+ issues and experiences.
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Promote equality and challenge discrimination.
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Support LGBTQ+ people and organisations.
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Create visibility and provide opportunities for people to come together.
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Importantly, Pride isn't just about parties and colourful celebrations. The celebrations grew out of protest and activism, so Pride also provides an opportunity to remember why those protests happened and the work that remains.
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PRIDE MONTH
Pride Month is more than rainbows, flags and celebrations. It is a reminder of the people who stood up when it wasn't easy, the communities who created spaces where LGBTQ+ people could feel safe and the campaigners who refused to accept inequality. Here in Barnsley, we carry that history with us.
We celebrate how far we've come, but we also recognise that Pride still has a purpose. We will continue to promote visibility, celebrate who we are and support our community — not just in June, but all year round. Because Pride isn't just a month. Pride is our community, our history and our future.
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Macauley / Barnsley Pride Marketing and Communication Lead
Although Pride Month has its roots in the Stonewall events in the US, the UK has its own LGBTQ+ history and Pride movement.
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The UK's first Pride march took place in London on 1 July 1972, bringing around 2,000 people together. Since then, Pride events have developed across the country, with local communities creating their own celebrations and traditions.
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For Barnsley, that local history is particularly important: Pride isn't something that only happens in big cities. LGBTQ+ people have always been part of local communities across the UK.
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