What is the Meaning of Pride?

The year's most colorful folk festival - Pride! But what does the Pride movement really mean and what is the history behind it?

What is the meaning of Pride?

Pride is when the world’s LGBTQIA communities come together and celebrate the freedom to be themselves. Pride is celebrated for that purpose, where everyone should be proud of who they are regardless of gender, ethnicity, and sexual orientation. Pride collections have their roots in the history of minority groups who have fought for decades to overcome prejudice and be accepted for who they are.

How did it start?

The Pride movement was founded in June 1969 in New York after the Stonewall uprising. During 1960s in the United States, it was illegal to be gay and the police harassed both homosexuals and transgender people. Because of the prevailing discrimination and harassment, many gays and transgender sought refuge in New York to find like-minded people and form a community. In the summer of 1969, police raided the bar Stonewall Inn in New York, a bar frequented by gay, trans- and queer people. The raid were met by a resistance and spread to become a big uprising in Greenich Village. The uprising then continued for several days, which was the start of the Pride movement. Brenda Howard, a bisexual and militant activist, is known as the “Mother of Pride”. Howard organized the first Pride parade to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall upraising. Trans woman, Marsha P. Johnson was also a front figure during the 1969 protests and continued to be a significant player in the LGBTQ movements during the late 1900s in New York.

The symbol of Pride – the rainbow flag

There are various symbols for the Pride movement, but the most famous one is the rainbow flag that is used all over the world. The original Pride flag was seen at the Gay Freedom Day Parade in San Francisco, 1978 and was designed by Gilbert Baker. Baker designed the colorful flag with different meanings to each color that reflects the diversity of the LGBTQ movement. Hot pink represents sexuality. Red represents life. Orange represents healing. Yellow represents sunlight. Green represents nature. Turquoise represents magic and art. Indigo represents serenity and harmony. Violet represents spirit.

Who celebrates it?

‍Pride is an event for LGBTQIA-people, to celebrate the community and to find strength and support. LGBTQ is an acronym meaning lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer. The term sometimes is extended to LGBTQIA, to include intersex and asexual groups. Although many allies join in, too. Pride is for everyone who wants to support, listen, and be educated.

Source: CNN Health, Pride.com