Insight and Inspiration

Why June is Gay Pride Month

Gay pride or LGBT pride refers to a world wide movement and philosophy asserting that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender

individuals should be proud of their sexual orientation and gender identity. Gay pride advocates work for equal "rights and benefits"

for LGBT people.

The movement has three main premises: that people should be proud of their sexual orientation and gender identity,  that sexual

diversity is a gift, and that sexual orientation and gender identity are inherent and cannot be intentionally  altered. In June of 2000,

Bill Clinton deemed the month of June, "Gay and Lesbian Pride Month." The month was chosen to remember a riot in 1969 at the Stonewall Inn in Manhattan that is thought to be the beginning of the gay liberation movement in the United States. 

June is now the month of acceptance and the month to welcome diversity in communities regardless of sexual orientation. Gay and lesbian groups celebrate this special time with pride parades, picnics, parties, memorials for those lost from HIV and AIDS, and other group gathering events that attract thousands upon thousands of individuals. This month is meant to recognize the impact Gay, Lesbian and Transgender individuals have had on the world.  Symbols of LGBT pride include the rainbow flag, the Greek lambda symbol, and the pink as well as black triangles reclaimed from their past use.

The gay pride flag was designed by Gilbert Baker who is said to have taken his inspiration from the black civil rights and hippie movements. It was debuted in 1978 at the San Francisco Gay and Lesbian Freedom Day Parade. Its colors, always shown in the following order, symbolize:

RED = Life

ORANGE = Healing

YELLOW = Sun

GREEN = Nature

ROYAL BLUE = Harmony

VIOLET = Spirit

And that is why June is Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month.

Church of Our Redeemer              serving the Central Savannah River Area in South Carolina and Georgia