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As the calendar turns to June, this month is marked as Pride Month, during which people of various sexual orientations march in parades to display their sexual orientation.
What is Pride Month? Pride Month is dedicated to raising LGBTQ voices, celebrating LGBTQ culture, and advocating for LGBTQ rights. Throughout the month of June, there have been historically been parades, protests, drag performances, live theatre, and memorials and celebrations of life for members of the community who have died as a result of HIV/AIDS. It is part political activity, and half a celebration of all that the LGBTQ community has accomplished over the years, as per People, a US-based media house. The rainbow flag, designed by artist Gilbert Baker in 1978, is regarded as a symbol of LGBTQ pride. The colours in the flag have a different meaning. The six-colour flag, red signifies life, orange represents healing, yellow represents sunshine, green represents nature, blue represents peace, and purple represents spirit. Hot pink was added to the original eight-colour flag to signify sex, and turquoise was inserted to represent magic/art. There have been several modifications to the flag. In 2021, the flag was changed in connection with the Black Lives Matter protests, with black representing diversity, brown representing inclusion, and light blue and pink representing the trans pride flag. Why this is celebrated in the month of June? We commemorate in June to coincide with the Stonewall Uprising, which was the spark for the Gay Liberation Movement. On June 28, 1969, police attacked The Stonewall Inn, a prominent homosexual bar in New York City's West Village. This was the typical practice at the time, but on this particular occasion, the clients of the pub retaliated, sparking the Stonewall Riots, which lasted several days. The Stonewall Inn was designated a historic landmark by the city of New York in 2015, and President Barack Obama later designated it a national monument in 2016. Before Obama, Bill Clinton was the first US President to officially recognize Pride Month in the years 1999 and 2000. This June marks the 53rd anniversary of the first Pride march, which took place one year after the rebellion in 1970. How Pride month is celebrated? On the first anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, activists in New York City marched through the streets of Manhattan in honour of the act of rebellion. The Gay Pride Parade evolved from that time of celebration. Gay pride celebrations have grown around the world over the years. Former US President Bill Clinton declared June Homosexual and Lesbian Pride Month in 2000, in honor of the Stonewall Riots and homosexual advocacy over the years. Pride celebrations were cancelled in previous years because of the COVID-19 epidemic, but this year many Pride marches are taking place in person. The theme of this year's Pride is 'Peace, Love, Revolution'. Although this phenomenon has mostly been witnessed in the West, India is catching up, with pride marches taking place across the nation. These parades combine political activity with a celebration of everything that the LGBTQ community has accomplished over the years. (ANI)
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