Pride Month Moment: Stonewall Uprising

 A pride desk display shows support for the LGBTQ2IA+ community at the UAF Troth Yeddha’ Campus in Fairbanks.
UAF photo by Karen Tomasik
A pride desk display shows support for the LGBTQ2IA+ community at the UAF Troth Yeddha’ Campus in Fairbanks.

June 17, 2022

— By Margo Griffith, UAF diversity officer

As we move through Pride Month, it is important to explore the history and struggles and honor the strength of the queer community.

On June 28, 1969, the New York Police Department raided the Stonewall Inn, a New York City gay bar. The patrons of Stonewall Inn, led by Black trans and lesbian women, fought back, catalyzing the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement. The next year, marches in New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago commemorated the Stonewall Uprising and are considered the first pride marches in U.S. history.

To learn more about this critical moment in American history, check out the Shine a Light series presentation by Ronnie Houchin, “Beyond Stonewall: Past and Present Movements for LBGTQ+ Equality.”

This weekend in particular, on Juneteenth, we acknowledge Black activists of the past and present who continue to lead the LGBTQ2IA+ rights movement in the United States.

Keep watching for our weekly Pride Month Moments to learn more about history, resources for active allyship, and programs that support our LGBTQ2IA+ community.