June
Pride Month is an annual global celebration of the contributions of members of the LGBTQ+ community historically and currently.
In June 1969 in New York City, police raided the Stonewall Inn, a well-known gay bar (police raids like this were common at the time). Several people fought back, and the confrontation grew, inciting 6 days of protests and riots, now more commonly known as the Stonewall Riots.
A year later, organizers arranged a march to commemorate the anniversary of the events at Stonewall, soon becoming an annual event.
In 1999, President Bill Clinton officially declared June as Gay and Lesbian Pride Month, and in 2009, President Barack Obama expanded the title of the celebration to be more inclusive.
In addition to commemorating the events at Stonewall, which brought the civil rights of the LGBTQ+ community into the forefront, June has also marked several important policy decisions ending (or in some cases reducing) discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community.1
Bayard Rustin, a gay man who was referred to by some as “Mr. March-on-Washington,” was a close advisor to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and a highly impactful organizer in the civil rights movement. While he was not a featured speaker during the March on Washington, he can be seen standing just behind many orators in photos. As Smithsonian Magazine writes, “This was the role that Rustin played throughout his career. He was the brilliant strategist just off screen, the erudite mentor who taught King the virtues of nonviolent civil disobedience, the activist who never made the step to civil rights leadership like many of his peers. He was, in a sense, the perennial organizer and intellectual mooring of the Black freedom struggle, always crucial but rarely in the headlines.”2
Born on March 17, 1912, Rustin was one of 12 children and was raised by his grandparents. His education in nonviolence started during his Quaker upbringing and his grandmother’s participation in the NAACP. As an adult, he traveled to India and studied the Gandian philosophy of nonviolence. Rustin became a crucial adviser to Dr. King during the Montgomery Bus Boycott, and because of his experience, he was able to deepen Dr. King’s nonviolent beliefs and practices. While some questioned Rustin’s affiliation with Dr. King because of his sexuality and his former affiliation with the Communist Party, Dr. King valued Rustin’s expertise.3
In 2013, Bayard was posthumously (26 years later) awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his work.
In 2023, the movie, Rustin, was released centering on his life, specifically his work organizing the March on Washington. The movie is currently available to stream on Netflix. (Side note: I have not yet watched it because I slowly rotate streaming services, but I’ve heard good things about it!)
The following are some ideas for celebrating Pride Month:
Learn more about leaders and role models of the LGBTQ+ community, particularly those whose contributions have been dismissed, minimized, or hidden, like Bayard Rustin.
Support LGBTQ+-owned businesses. You can often search online for this criteria in your area and get a list of businesses.
Learn more about Stonewell.
These are great ways to honor the LGBTQ+ community yearlong!
Help us learn more: What are additional ways to celebrate and honor Pride Month? What stereotypes and/or tropes do we need to make sure we challenge or avoid?
Have something to share but don’t want to leave a comment? You can email me by replying to this email or DM me on Substack. I’d love to hear from you!
In case you missed it - related essays from Cultivating Justice: