June is Pride month when cities across America show support for LGBTQ rights, culture and community. It is a month-long celebration, protest and political activism in almost every major city in the U.S.
The history of Pride dates back to the late 1960s at the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in NYC. The venue was known as the rare spot where same-sex patrons could dance with each other without the fear of harassment.
At the time, it was fairly common for police to raid gay bars and nightclubs, especially in big cities like New York City and Los Angeles. Sometimes these raids would result in violence on behalf of officers.
In the early morning hours of June 28, 1969, the police raided Stonewall, but this time, the patrons fought back. Marsha P. Johnson, a black trans woman celebrating her 25th birthday at the time, is credited with starting the uprising. The Stonewall Riots consisted of thousands of people and lasted for six days. It was a tipping point in history where everything changed for the LGBTQ community. In 2016, President Obama declared the Stonewall Inn a national landmark.
The 45th annual Cincinnati Pride Parade and Festival took place at Sawyer Point on the Ohio River in downtown Cincinnati on Saturday. It was so much fun to attend and see the atmosphere full of music, dancing and all around positivity.