According to atlantapride.org, Pride is an event to commemorate the Stonewall Uprising of 1969. The Georgia Gay Liberation Front held its first gay pride parade march in June of 1971. For almost 50 years, the Atlanta LGBT and allied communities have marched from Peachtree Street to Piedmont Park in celebration of our beauty, and in protest. In the month of June, many cities across the globe sill celebrate pride, but now the city of Atlanta has chosen to celebrate in October. It was in the October of 1994 that a coalition of education-based organizations designated the 11th month of the year as a time to raise awareness of our long history and to shine a light on our success.
Due to COVID-19, most of this year’s Pride gatherings have been canceled. However, many events have transitioned to online in their place. Atlanta Pride will be hosting a virtual celebration from October 9th-11th; click here for more information. This change, though, does give us an opportunity to reflect and to dive deeper into understanding our history and the progress we have made.
In 2020, it can now be said that we have gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender government officials. No longer will a person who chooses to serve in our nation’s military need to hide their identity or sexual orientation. We are dominating Hollywood with historic magazine covers, and with accurate TV depictions of same-sex relationships and transgender awareness. We have marriage equality and significant gains regarding protections in the workplace. Pride is a time to celebrate all of this and more.
Last year we celebrated the 50th anniversary of Stonewall. From the ashes of this inflamed revolt came the gay liberation movement. The gay liberation movement can be attributed to our advancement towards equal rights and protections under the law. In 1970, on the first anniversary of Stonewall, the inaugural pride parades were held in New York City, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. These Pride events offered a sense of community, and a sense of safety for self-expression. But just like the Civil Rights Movement’s March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, and the Women’s Rights Movement’s Seneca Falls Conference, several preamble events led to the Stonewall uprising.
Before Stonewall, there was the founding of the Daughters of Bilitis , the Mattachine Society, the sit-in protest at Julius in the West Village of New York, the Annual Reminders in Philadelphia, and the sit-ins at the Compton’s Cafeteria and The Black Cat Tavern.
One of the first recorded gay organizations was established in 1897 in Berlin by Magnus Hirschfeld. Many of these pivotal moments in the movement were started by sex workers, drag performers, transgender identifying people, and many others who were wrongfully marginalized in the corners of society. The organization of these marginalized individuals challenged the gender norms and traditional societal principles of the times. It is on the backs of these individuals that our freedoms and new protections lie. We honor their legacy by annually creating space in celebration of their courage and their determination.
Though there may not be a physical Pride event this year, we are still able to recognize our achievements and acknowledge those who came before us. The LGBT community has a vast history that both transcends and maintains roots in race, religion, class, and regional cultural traditions. Pride is about understanding who we are, expressing ourselves, and embracing our voice. We are far from true equality. The fight for trans inclusivity rages on; stronger protections in the workplace, in housing, and in public accommodations are needed. But as we look forward, we shall never forget how our movement began and why we still celebrate.