Safe Harbor hosts Pride Month celebration
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RONAN – Sharing the pride is coming to town on Saturday, June 26, in the Ronan City Park from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
A picnic and fun activities are on the schedule. It will be a time to connect, visit and support the concept of “Love Is Love.” Pride Month is dedicated to the uplifting of LGBTQ voices, honoring LGBTQ culture and supporting LGBTQ rights.
Throughout June numerous events, from parades to picnics to other festivities, celebrating the LGBTQ+ community take place around the United States and world. The acronym LGBTQ+ is an inclusive shorthand that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer or questioning.
The rainbow flag, created by artist Gilbert Baker in 1978, is widely known as the symbol of Pride. Today, there are many variations of the original flag, representing other populations and communities.
The history of Pride Month goes back to 1969 when police raided the Stonewall Inn, a popular gay bar in Greenwich Village, claiming the property had violated liquor laws. As police officers began making arrests, those remaining gathered outside. At this point in history, homosexuality was still considered a criminal offense, and it was common for police to raid bars like Stonewall, but this raid led to a nighttime riot.
Over the next six days, thousands took to the streets in protest. In 1970, on the first anniversary of the police raid at Stonewall, activists organized the Christopher Street Liberation Day march, the start of New York’s first gay pride week.
Fast forward to 1999, the then-president Bill Clinton became the first to issue an executive order recognizing June as Pride Month. Over the last decade, there have been other significant changes connected to the energy of Pride Month. On June 26, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down all state bans on same-sex marriage, legalized it in all 50 states and required states to honor out-of-state same-sex marriage licenses in the case Obergefell v. Hodges. A significant number of employers have made policy changes to support the LGBTQ+ community in areas such as insurance and employment rights.
SAFE Harbor is hosting the event as part of its ongoing work to promote a safe and supportive community for all people with assistance from the Pride Foundation. The event is free and open to all. For more information contact Dana Grant at dana@safeharbormt.org.
