In celebration of Pride Month, Extu is showing support to our LGBTQ+ employees and sharing significant moments in LGBTQ+ history.
According to the Library of Congress,
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) Pride Month is currently celebrated each year in the month of June to honor the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan. The Stonewall Uprising was a tipping point for the Gay Liberation Movement in the United States. In the United States the last Sunday in June was initially celebrated as ‘Gay Pride Day,’ but the actual day was flexible. In major cities across the nation the ‘day’ soon grew to encompass a month-long series of events.
At Extu, we’re proud of our diverse work family and we love hearing their directly about their experiences and thoughts when it comes to inclusivity. This month, our Vendor Finance and Accounts Receivable Coordinator Adam Plaxen shared his thoughts on Pride Month and what it means to him.
History of Pride Month
with Adam Plaxen, Vendor Finance and Accounts Receivable Coordinator
Every June, vibrant parades, colorful flags, and joyful celebrations take over cities around the world. This is Pride Month, a time to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community, honor their history, and advocate for equal rights.
While Pride is celebrated today with color and cheer, it originally began as a protest to a police raid in 1969 on the Stonewall Inn.
The Stonewall Inn is a Gay Bar in New York’s Greenwich Village and was a popular hotspot for the local Gay and Trans community.
During this time, homosexuality was still illegal in 49 out of 50 states. Gay and Trans people would often find refuge from daily discrimination at LGBT+ bars and clubs.
While police raids on these establishments during this era were common, community tensions with law enforcement had reached a boiling point this time and the patrons of Stonewall fought back leading to 6 days of protests and violent clashes with police.
One year later the first pride marches were held in New York, LA, and Chicago to commemorate Stonewall and to demonstrate for equal rights.
This would continue in June each year onward and evolved into the Pride Marches that we have today! 30 years after Stonewall, the US Government would go on to officially recognize Pride Month in 1999.
It is important that we take time each year in June to educate and reflect on how this struggle helped to pave the way for equal rights in our country.
Stay Tuned
Watch this space for more Pride Month insights as we spotlight LGBTQ+ voices at Extu!
