Pride means so many different things to different people but do you know where and when it all started? From its radical and poignant beginnings in New York City, to the colourful and wildly exciting celebrations it is today, this is how Pride began.......
1960 - Stonewall Riots
Early in the morning of June 28, the Stonewall Inn was raided by police, a then common occurrence at the Greenwich Village bar that had become a staple of New York City's underground gay community. But this time its members, tired of the ongoing raids, fought back, striking what would become known as The Stonewall Riots.
1970 - Christopher Street Parade
A year after Stonewall, the first Gay Pride March was held by the Christopher Street Liberation Day Committee to commemorate the riots.
1973 - The Struggle Gains Speed
One of the first major successes of the movement came when the American Psychiatric Association removed homosexuality from the DSM-II, where it had up until then been listed alongside pedophilia and zoophilia. The struggle continued, with Pride organizations forming in other major cities throughout the U.S. to remember Stonewall and continue its aim.
1979 - America Starts to Listen
In 1979, following the ten-year anniversary of Stonewall and the assassination of Harvey Milk, thousands took to the streets for the first National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. For ten years the struggle had been a collection of local ones, but for the first time, it garnered major national attention.
1982 - The Darkest Hour?
June 5th saw the first official documentation of AIDS, the disease which had come to be known as GRID5 (gay-related immune deficiency), 'gay cancer', 'community-acquired immune dysfunction' and 'gay compromise syndrome'. In September 1982, the CDC reported an average of one to two AIDS diagnoses in America every day. AIDS had struck the community hard and would continue to decimate the pioneers into the unforseeable future. But the struggle had already begun and the fight for civil liberties went on.
1984 - Pride Marches On!
Heritage of Pride was founded in 1984 to take over the planning of New York City Pride events from the disbanded Christopher Street Liberation Day Committee, former organizers of the March and Rally, and the Christopher Street Festival Committee, former.
Fast forward a few years and by the end of the 1980's and early 1990's almost every major city throughout the world held their own annual pride events.
Skip forward to the mid 1990's and some of the less obvious cities hosted pride events such as Moscow, Tel Aviv and Nepal.
Jump even further forward to the new millennium and pride events take place in pretty much every country worldwide, however there are some countries which seem to be taking a step back when it comes to acceptance of homosexuality.
With countries like Uganda and Russia imposing anti homosexual laws it is more important than ever to stand up for what we believe - diversity and equality.
Let us take the chance to remind people the true meaning of Pride...it is a celebration of equality!
Where It All Began....
