From Protest to Global Movement
Every June, Pride Month is celebrated worldwide as a tribute to LGBTQIA+ culture, rights, and visibility - with New York City at its historic and symbolic heart. The tradition began in 1970, when the first NYC Pride March, known as Christopher Street Liberation Day, commemorated the anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall Uprising. This pivotal event ignited the modern LGBTQIA+ rights movement and inspired the first Pride marches in cities like New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.
The word “pride” soon became a rallying cry for self-worth and empowerment, symbolizing the strength and resilience of the LGBTQIA+ community. As activist L. Craig Schoonmaker noted, “But anyone can have pride in themselves, and that would make them happier as people, and produce the kind of change we want to see.” Today, NYC’s Pride March remains one of the world’s largest, drawing up to 2.5 million attendees in recent years and reaching a record 5 million during WorldPride in 2019.
This powerful legacy has transformed Pride into a truly global phenomenon, with millions gathering each year at parades and festivals in cities like São Paulo, Madrid, Toronto, and Paris. Altogether, Pride events now attract tens of millions of participants worldwide, making Pride Month both a joyful celebration and a powerful movement for equality and inclusion across the globe.
