Have you wondered how Pride month came to be? Pride month is celebrated every June to honour the LGBTQ+ community and commemorate the Stonewall Uprising of 1969. The month is dedicated to celebrating LGBTQ+ culture, rights, and voices while honouring activists who have tirelessly sacrificed so much to secure basic human rights in the community. It is pertinent to understand the history behind pride month and why it is so significant.
On June 28th, 1969, police raided The Stonewall Inn, a popular gay bar in Manhattan. While these storming’s were deemed normal at the time, what made this raid different was the pushback the police faced from thousands of protestors who took to the streets. While the police barricaded themselves in the bar, the protestors attempted to set the bar on fire but were ultimately stopped by the fire department. The protestors continued rioting for five more days.
The Stonewall Uprising is often credited with invigorating the gay rights movement and led to the establishment of notable organizations such as the Gay Liberation Front and GLADD. The uprising led to the first pride march the following year to demonstrate against the centuries of abuse and discrimination faced by members of the LGBTQ+ community, and approximately 4000 marchers were present.
Previously the phrase “gay power” was used in place of “gay pride,” to highlight the division and combat between the police and the LGBTQ+ community. Activist L. Craig Schoonmaker is credited with devising the phrase: “A lot of people were very repressed, they were conflicted internally, and didn’t know how to come out and be proud. That’s how the movement was most useful, because they thought, ‘Maybe I should be proud.” He further explained that the term pride “makes people more self-assertive,” by allowing them the right to assert their rights. The six colours on the rainbow pride flag signify life, healing, the sun, nature, art, harmony, and the soul.
Canada is lauded for its progressive stance on LGBTQ+ rights and has seen a continuous expansion of rights. Homosexuality was decriminalized in May 1969, with the passing of Bill C-150. Although this bill was ahead of its time, it is often referred to as “partial decriminalization”– as members of the LGBTQ+ community still faced discrimination. In 1973, pride week emergence was held in several Canadian cities, and this event is credited with highlighting the concept of gay pride.
In February 1981, Operation Soap, a raid by the Toronto police against four gay bathhouses, took place. The police raid resulted in the staggering arrest of 300 men subject to atrocious conditions while in custody. One day after the raid, over 3000 protestors decided enough was enough and stormed the streets of Toronto. The protestors made their way across the city, and the police were overwhelmed. The protesters almost broke down the doors of the provincial legislative building before police pushed back. This event is frequently referenced as “Canada’s Stonewall.”
While members of the LGBTQ+ community have faced discrimination since Operation Soap, it is notable that same-sex marriage is legal all over Canada. Today, at least 70 countries around the world still treat homosexuality as a crime. Newfoundland legalized same-sex marriage in 2004.
However, more work needs to be done. For example, in December 2021, Bill C-4 passed an Act to amend the Criminal Code. This bill ensured that conversion therapy, a dangerous and widely discredited theory, was banned nationwide. The bill has been praised for being so comprehensive. Still, it is somewhat disheartening that this was Canada’s third attempt at banning the practice nationwide when it is evident that conversion therapy is a highly harmful practice.
Some members of the LGBTQ+ community argue that one month out of twelve is not enough to celebrate the rich history of pride and advocate for further equality. It is paramount we appreciate the significance of pride month and never forget how arduous the journey has been.