PRE-STONEWALL: QUEER EXISTENCE = RESISTANCE
Rainbows, glitter, and parades? Being queer was a crime. A sickness. Something people were institutionalized, arrested, even killed for.
1920s–1950s: Queer people existed loudly but in secret. Underground bars, coded language, drag balls—this was survival.
Lavender Scare (1950s): While America was busy hunting "communists," they were also purging gay people from government jobs. Being queer was “un-American.” People lost their livelihoods, families, and freedom.
But despite the fear? The queer community built resilience. Bars became sanctuaries. Drag queens became warriors. And then came Stonewall.
⚔️ 1969: STONEWALL UPRISING — THE MATCH THAT LIT THE FIRE
June 28, 1969: Cops raided the Stonewall Inn (a gay bar in NYC). Nothing new—police harassment was regular.
But this time? The community fought back.
Led by trans women of color like Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, drag queens, sex workers, street kids, and butch lesbians clapped back. Bottles thrown. Bricks flying. Fires lit. This wasn’t a parade. It was a riot. And it lasted six days.
What Was Stonewall
Stonewall wasn’t the beginning of the LGBTQ+ community, but it was the birth of the modern gay rights movement.
✊ 1970s–1980s: THE FIRST PRIDES & RISING RESISTANCE
- 1970: The first official Pride marches took place in NYC, LA, and Chicago—marking the Stonewall anniversary. Wasn’t a party. It was a protest.
- Harvey Milk became one of the first openly gay elected officials in the U.S. in 1977. Assassinated in 1978.
- Queer rights gained visibility… but not peace.
Then came the AIDS crisis.
💀 1980s–1990s: THE PLAGUE YEARS & FURY UNLEASHED
- The HIV/AIDS epidemic hit hard. And fast. Gay men, trans women, and other marginalized groups died by the thousands.
- The government? Silent. Families disowned victims. Hospitals wouldn’t treat patients. Queer people were left to die.
So they fought back.
- ACT UP, Queer Nation, and other radical groups stormed streets, churches, and government buildings. “SILENCE = DEATH” became a battle cry.
- Pride during these years was a funeral march and a war cry.
🌍 2000s–2010s: PRIDE GOES GLOBAL (AND CORPORATE)
- More countries started legalizing same-sex marriage (Netherlands, Canada, Spain, etc.)
- Pride expanded to cities around the world.
- LGBTQ+ folks gained more legal protections—but the fight wasn’t over.
Then came rainbow capitalism. Corporations started slapping rainbows on everything every June... but didn’t back it up with real support. People started asking: Is this still a protest—or just a party?
⚡2020s: BACK TO ROOTS, BACK TO FIRE
- The Black Lives Matter movement and trans rights activism reconnected Pride with its radical, riot-born roots.
- Trans folks (especially Black and brown trans women) still face violence, homelessness, and systemic neglect.
- Bills banning drag, restricting trans healthcare, and erasing queer education started popping up across the U.S.
Gen Z? Ain’t having it. Pride now is both celebration and resistance. Loud. Angry. Joyful. Defiant.
WHAT PRIDE IS (AND ISN’T)
- It's not just rainbow merch.
- It's not just a parade.
- It's not a corporate trend.
It is:
- Honoring those who fought and died.
- Lifting up the most vulnerable in our community.
- Demanding safety, visibility, and power.
Choosing joy in the face of oppression.