Pride Month
News and features
On June 28, 1969, police raided New York's Stonewall Inn, a historic gay bar in Greenwich Village
June 1, 2024
Raids on gay bars in the 1960s were common and often violent. On this occasion, the patrons and gathering crowd at the Stonewall Inn decided to fight back. The five days of rioting that followed changed the LGBTQ+ community forever, marking the start of a decades-long fight for LGBTQ+ rights.
On June 28 1970, a year on from the Stonewall uprising, the very first Pride marches took place in New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. Thousands of LGBTQ+ people gathered to commemorate Stonewall and to protest the injustices faced by the community.
From 1970 to the present day, Pride events have continued to take place all over the world. June is Pride month, which marks the start of Pride season.
Pride events in the UK started in cities like London and Manchester and have made their way to smaller towns, including locations all over Kent. The events have grown in both size and popularity, which is fantastic for the community – it means more people can celebrate equality. Pride is a place to can celebrate who you are, however you identify within the LGBTQ+ community.
If you would like to find out where your local Pride event is taking place this year, please get in touch at beyou@porchlight.org.uk.