The year 2020 marks the 50th anniversary of the first LGBTQ+ pride marches, which took place during the summer of 1970.
The celebration of Pride Month in June observes community visibility and the movement toward equality.
The first Pride march in New York City was held on June 28, 1970, on the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising, which was a critical moment for LGBTQ+ rights in the United States.
In the early hours of June 28, 1969, police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in New York’s Greenwich Village. At that time, acting or dressing in a way that was considered gender-inappropriate or showing affection to someone of the same sex could get people arrested. Many clubs like Stonewall Inn operated illegally.
The police raid in the wee hours of June 28, 1969, spurred neighborhood riots that continued for three days and led to new, more extensive LGBTQ+ activist groups than the U.S. had seen before.
Marsha P. Johnson, Sylivia Rivera, and Stormé DeLarverie — transgender and lesbian women of color — were prominent figures in that uprising, which fundamentally changed the nature of LGBTQ+ activism in the United States.
The uprising became a catalyst for LGBTQ+ organizations such as the Gay Liberation Front and the Gay Activists Alliance, modeled after the civil rights movement and the women’s rights movement.
This past month, LGBTQ+ organizations have retooled traditional parades and celebrations into marches and rallies supporting the Black Lives Matter movement and the rights of LGBTQ+ communities of color that are most at risk of abuse and violence.
Carthage College is a proud ally and advocate of the LGBTQ+ community and its fight for equal protection under the law, access to healthcare, and acceptance as vital members of their communities.
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Assistant Dean of Students Roger Moreano is the Director of Equity and Inclusion in the Division of Student Affairs at Carthage. Follow Carthage’s Equity and Inclusion Instagram account, @carthageintersectionalequity.
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Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Resources
We live and work in a richly-diverse world. At Carthage, we strive to enhance the diversity and equity of our community and together to create an ever more enlightened and inclusive environment that will positively impact the world. The Carthage academic community is committed to fostering integrity, civility, and justice. Aiming to learn from each other, we reject all forms of prejudice and discrimination toward underrepresented groups.
Learn more about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts at Carthage
