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Key Moments in LGBTQ Pride History
The evolution of a movement from Stonewall to same-sex marriage
Jump to Section 1969 Stonewall Uprising
NY Daily News Archive/Getty Images In the early-morning hours of June 28, 1969, police raided the Stonewall Inn, a popular Greenwich Village nightclub, for the second time in a week — a common occurrence in an era when nearly all aspects of LGBTQ life were criminalized. That night, however, the crowd refused to disperse and patrons clashed with police as the confrontation swelled to include hundreds of demonstrators. Riots continued into the following week. The Stonewall uprising galvanized activists across the country and set into motion the modern LGBTQ movement — including pride. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. 1970 First Pride Parades
Participants march through New York City for the second annual Christopher Street Gay Liberation Day, later called Gay Pride Day, in 1971. Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images One year after Stonewall, people commemorated the uprising with marches in New York City, Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles. The phrase “gay pride” was also brand-new that year, coined by activists as a shorthand to unite the events planned as part of the fledgling movement. In 1971, pride went worldwide, with parades and demonstrations taking place in West Berlin, London, Paris and Stockholm. 1987 AIDS Memorial Quilt
People gather to view the AIDS Memorial Quilt, shown for the first time on Oct. 11, 1987, on the Mall in Washington, D.C. Getty Images While the pride movement brought LGBTQ life out of the shadows, the HIV/AIDS epidemic plunged the community into crisis. The AIDS Memorial Quilt was displayed for the first time on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., during the National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. That weekend, half a million people visited the quilt, which covered a space larger than a football field and included 1,920 panels. The largest community art project in the world, the quilt is both a celebration of the lives lost to AIDS-related causes and a powerful reminder of the disease’s deadly toll. Flowers & Gifts 25% off sitewide and 30% off select items See more Flowers & Gifts offers > 1991 Origins of Black Pride
Attendees celebrate DC Black Pride in 2017. Tim Brown / Alamy Stock Photo Activists Welmore Cook, Theodore Kirkland and Ernest Hopkins organized the first DC Black Pride in 1991. What started as an 800-person gathering is now a celebration that draws more than 300,000 people to Washington, D.C., each Memorial Day weekend. DC Black Pride is widely regarded as the catalyst for the black pride movement as a whole, inspiring the 30-plus celebrations that now take place across the country each year in cities like Los Angeles, Atlanta and New York. 2009 International Transgender Day of Visibility
A crowd gathers to celebrate International Transgender Day of Visibility on March 31, 2017, in Los Angeles. ROBYN BECK/Getty Images In 2009, activist Rachel Crandall put out a call to action on Facebook. Tired of the lack of occasions dedicated to celebrating the lives and accomplishments of transgender and gender nonconforming people, she proposed one of her own: Transgender Day of Visibility. The grassroots holiday swiftly gained traction on social media and was adopted across the country and abroad. Observed each year on March 31, the day honors transgender and gender nonconforming people while raising awareness of the issues that jeopardize their lives. 2016 Stonewall National Monument
Valerie Jarrett, right, senior adviser to President Barack Obama, stands with former U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell. Spencer Platt/Getty Images Nearly 50 years after the original uprising, the Stonewall Inn once more made history. On June 27, 2016, the inn, nearby Christopher Park and surrounding areas became a U.S. National Monument, the first dedicated to LGBTQ rights and history. The Stonewall Uprising, the proclamation reads, was the “turning point that sparked changes in cultural attitudes and national policy towards [LGBTQ] people over the ensuing decades,” and one worth honoring for generations to come. 2020 U S Supreme Court Ruling Protects LGBTQ Employees
On October 8, 2019, the Supreme Court holds oral arguments in three cases dealing with workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation. SAUL LOEB / Getty Images Pride month in 2020 was marked by a historic ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court: LGBTQ employees are protected from discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. A landmark victory for the LGBTQ community, the 6-3 ruling in the case of Bostock v. Clayton County extended protection under federal antidiscrimination law to LGBTQ employees in all 50 states. MORE FROM AARP AARP NEWSLETTERS %{ newsLetterPromoText }% %{ description }% Subscribe AARP VALUE & MEMBER BENEFITS See more Health & Wellness offers > See more Flights & Vacation Packages offers > See more Finances offers > See more Health & Wellness offers > SAVE MONEY WITH THESE LIMITED-TIME OFFERS