Pride Month is officially upon us! For those who may be unfamiliar, Pride Month, recognized each year during June, is dedicated to recognizing and celebrating LGBTQIA+ pride, history, people and culture. LGBTQIA+ stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Intersex and Asexual, with the “+” including any other identities not named in the acronym.
History
Pride Month was not the first time that LGBTQIA+ people organized and created significant cultural shifts. Before the first Pride parade, Annual Reminders were held on July 4 between 1965 and 1969. The Reminder was organized by the Eastern Regional Conference of Homophile Organizations (ERCHO). Annual Reminders were held before Independence Hall in Philadelphia to “remind” the American public that gay people were denied basic civil rights. (Note that homosexuality was not legalized nationwide in the United States until 2003 with the Supreme Court case Lawrence v. Texas). Annual Reminders, however, still employed a dress code that reinforced heteronormativity to avoid appearing too radical.
On June 28, 1969, the Stonewall Uprising, also known as the Stonewall Rebellion, occurred at the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village, NY. (Stonewall has been commonly referred to as the “Stonewall Riots,” however, this labeling is criticized for painting the bar patrons in a malicious light). The following week involved many violent struggles between protestors and the police who often raided the establishment. The following year on June 28, Reminder Day was replaced with the first Pride parade which was called the Christopher Street Liberation Day March.
Pride has since become a celebratory moment that commemorates the history of LGBTQIA+ resistance and cherishes the joy in being one’s true self. “Pride” was coined by Craig Schoonmaker in 1970: “The poison was shame, and the antidote is pride” (Schoonmaker, 2015).
(This section uses the National LGBTQ Task Force as a main source.)
Events
Pride is commonly celebrated across the country with parades at the top of the month:
West Hollywood, a historic site of LBGTQIA+ presence in Los Angeles, started Pride on May 22, commemorating Harvey Milk Day (Celebrated on Harvey Milk‘s birthday). Milk was one of the first openly gay elected officials in the US and used his position on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors to push countless reforms for underrepresented communities.
- 55th Annual
LA Pride Parade – June 8 @ 11 a.m. - Other programming includes
Pride Night at Sparks (June 1), Pride Night at Dodger Stadium (June 13),
Getty Exhibitions- Queer Lens: A History of Photography and $3
Bill: Evidence of Queer Lives (June 16) and more!
Around UCLA
Several locations tied to the UCLA community are hosting events that students can attend to recognize queer impact and engage with the spirit of Pride. In addition to the list below, visit the UCLA LGBTQ Campus Resource Center for more programming.
UCLA Spring Grad LGBTQ+ Pride Mixer
- June 6 @4:30 p.m. at the UCLA Anderson School of Management North Terrace: Hosted by several grad associations with a theme of “Unapologetic Joy,” this cocktail mixer (with complimentary food and an open bar) is geared for grad students at UCLA to come together, celebrate, and explore new opportunities with partnering groups. RSVP here.
Epicuria at Covel
- Ibiza Bruin Pride Theme Dinner – June 4, 5–9 p.m.
- Reading by Roxane Gay: “The Portable Feminist Reader” – June 4 @ 7:30 p.m.: Gay discusses her expansive interpretation of the feminist canon through a variety of multicultural perspectives including gender and Black feminist perspectives.
- Screening of “In the Best Interests of the Children” – June 6 @ 7:30 p.m.: The film tells the story of
eight families led by lesbian mothers facing custody battles in the Bay Area and destigmatizes this thriving family model. - Screening of “The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love” – June 7 @ 7:30 p.m.: A coming of age romance about Randy and Evie, two girls from opposite backgrounds as they
navigate young love and self-discovery. - Screening of “Heightened Scrutiny” – June 24 @ 7:30 p.m.: Co-presented with TransUP, or Transgender UCLA Pride. The documentary covers the fight against anti-trans legislation in the US,
highlighting Chase Strangio, the first openly transgender person to argue before the Supreme Court. Q&A with director Sam Feder and producer Amy Scholder.
- “The Reservoir” by Jake Brasch (World Premier!) – playing June 18–July 20: A heartfelt story
about family, memory and healing as Josh’s grandparents lift him out of a “spiral.” Brash describes themselves on their website as “a queer, sober, Jewish clown from Colorado and a recent graduate from the playwriting program at The Juilliard School.”
- “Medium” by Rianto – June 7 @ 8 p.m.: Rianto performs Central Javanese Lengger dance,
explores the gaps between genders, customs and spiritual states to oppose binaries. The performance meshes Rianto’s personal experience and the common human exploration of
identity.
- “Super Nothing” by Miguel Gutierrez – June 13–Jun 14: Gutierrez depicts “how our bodies hold stories that shape our understanding of community and identity…an emotionally charged dance experience that invites you to consider how we pay attention to each other and how we make space for belonging” (Center for the Art of Performance UCLA Website).
UCLA is home to a plethora of student organizations representing LGBTQIA+ students from varying backgrounds and in various fields of study. See the Student Organizations webpage for a list of clubs that might be posting events and for detailed information on each club.
Pride Month continues to be a time of great joy and festivities, but it remains critical for uplifting the community. Just as it emerged as a sign of resistance, the same values stand as the LGBTQIA+ community continues to face hateful attempts to invalidate queer identities. While June is an important period of recognition for the LGBTQIA+ community, recognizing queer people and history is important no matter what time of the year.
