Gay and Lesbian Pride Month

Gay and Lesbian Pride Month is celebrated each year for the month of June. The last Sunday in June is celebrated as Gay Pride Day. On June 2, 2000, President Bill Clinton declared June "Gay & Lesbian Pride Month". In 2009, 2010, and 2011 U.S. President Barack Obama declared June to be Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month, stating, “I call upon all Americans to observe this month by fighting prejudice and discrimination in their own lives and everywhere it exists.” The month was chosen to commemorate the 1969 Stonewall riots in Greenwich Village that sparked the modern LGBT liberation movement in the United States.

This month is meant to recognize the impact gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex people have had on the world. GLBT groups celebrate with pride parades, picnics, parties, memorials for those lost from hate crimes , and other group gathering events that attract thousands upon thousands of individuals. InterPride, the International Association of Pride Organizers, was founded in 1982 and has grown to encompass pride events around the world throughout the year. Although June remains the primary month for pride events the annual calendar shows events in most months.

In some communities Gay Pride Day is celebrated on a different day in June, either to allow people to participate in both local events and larger regional events, or to accommodate local scheduling issues.

See also

• Christopher Street Day
• Gay pride
• LGBT History Month (October)