As we close out the month of June, we wanted to give pause to celebrate Pride month and its history and think about ways to continue the celebration and support of our LGBTQIA+ community year round. Pride month is celebrated every June across our country with parades, festivals, concerts, and other events and celebrations.

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The History of Pride Month

On June 28, 1969, police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay club in New York City, resulting in a movement of protests and clashes that lasted over 6 days. Marsh P. Johnson, a black, trans, bisexual woman who was one of the leaders of the movement, helped lead the cause, demanding safe places for the community to go and be open about their sexual orientation without a threat to their safety. 

A year after the Stonewall Riots, bisexual activist Brenda Howard, who is known as "The Mother of Pride," organized the first Gay Pride Week and the Christopher Street Liberation Day Parade. This became what is now known as the New York City Pride March and subsequent parades and marches that occur all over the world. 

In addition to colorful, rainbow-filled parades, parties, workshops, and rallies, Pride Month is also an opportunity to memorialize those members of the community who have lost their lives to hate crimes and HIV/AIDS.

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Beyond Pride Month

Despite increased attention in June every year, the LGBTQIA+ community still lacks representation and faces continued discriminization and marginalization. In addition to showing support during the month of June, it is important to celebrate and support this community year round. Ways you can get your whole family involved are by:

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• Working together as a family to support proper organizations
• Continuing to research, learn, listen and share with others
• Check out family-focused events
• Create rainbow crafts and foods while having important conversations about inclusion
• Model being a safe space for those within and outside of your immediate family

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Parallel's Continued Commitment

At Parallel we strive to be continuously supportive of the LGBTQIA+ community and beyond. Not only are we a safe space for all to express themselves, but we work towards helping to  educate and support the larger community. Stay tuned for more from this series, including talking to your child about sexuality and navigating gender identity discussions. If you or your child need support, please reach out to schedule a consultation and meet with one of our providers who focus on emotional support services. 

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Resources

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GLAAD : An  American non-governmental media monitoring organization, founded as a protest against defamatory coverage of gay and lesbian people.

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PFLAG: The United States' first and largest organization uniting parents, families, and allies with people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer. 

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The Trevor Project: The Trevor Project is an American nonprofit organization founded in 1998. It focuses on suicide prevention efforts among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning youth.

‍The Human Rights Campaign: The Human Rights Campaign is the largest LGBTQ advocacy group and LGBTQ political lobbying organization in the United States.