These events are for young LGBT people, their families and straight allies. Youth and young adult Prides have also gained popularity in recent years. While these events are usually targeted to lesbians and transgender people, they are open to all and usually include a rally and a march. These events are usually offered as a grassroots supplement to Pride celebrations catering to the entire community and often have high-profile corporate sponsors and events. In many places, Pride events specifically for women occur on the day before or the same weekend as other Pride events. In recent years, other Pride events specifically targeted to other communities of color, specifically for the Latino/a community, have also occurred in some cities. For a list of more Black Pride events, please visit the International Federation of Black Prides. Black Pride celebrations originated from the dissatisfaction of Black LGBT people who did not identify with the entertainment or cultural programming at other Pride events. Black Pride events, which include New York's "Pride in the City" and Detroit's "Hotter Than July", offer a unique opportunity for LGBT communities of African descent to celebrate their myriad of experiences and identities with their allies, friends and families. In the early 1990s, Black Prides emerged as a powerful force and now take place in more than 30 major cities nationwide. Local volunteer groups, often with the sponsorship of corporations and local businesses, organize most LGBT Pride events, and they include a variety of events catering to different segments of the community. In the United States, Pride events vary from city to city and region to region. The number and variety of Pride events throughout the country and the world reflect the diversity of the LGBT community both in the United States and abroad. It is also a chance for the community to come together and celebrate in a festive, affirming atmosphere. While Pride events play a key role in raising the profile of the community and commemorating the history of the LGBT social movement, Pride also marks an opportunity for the community to come together, take stock and recognize the advances and setbacks made in the past year.
The increasing popularity and visibility of Pride events can partially be attributed to greater levels of acceptance towards the community. Over time, the smaller marches and gatherings organized by community members evolved into a highly organized slate of events attracting a broad range of LGBT community members and straight allies. In some places Pride events stretch out over a weekend or an entire week, while in other areas, Pride events occur at different times of the year altogether (particularly in parts of the country where June is especially hot). June is unofficially recognized as Pride Month by the LGBT community, and many Pride events still occur on the last Sunday in June to commemorate the anniversary of Stonewall. While historical accounts of the night vary, the violent response ignited a national firestorm of activism that brought new visibility to the struggle for LGBT equality. At the time, police raids on bars catering to LGBT patrons were common, but that night, the patrons of the Stonewall Inn fought back.
The majority of Pride events are held in June to commemorate the anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion in New York City on June 28, 1969, which most historians consider to be the birth of the modern LGBT movement. GLAAD encourages journalists to use Pride events as an opportunity to discuss the history of LGBT advocacy, show the diversity of the LGBT community, and examine recent gains and setbacks made by the community HISTORY OF PRIDE LGBT Pride celebrations typically occur in June in big cities and small towns nationwide.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Pride events garner media coverage each summer in communities across the country, and this toolkit was created as a resource for media professionals in their coverage of Pride events.