Every June, the streets of many cities fill with color, music, and joy to celebrate LGBTQ+ Pride Month. But beyond the festive atmosphere, this date has deep roots in struggle, resistance, and a history we must not forget.

Why do we celebrate Pride?
Pride is not just a party—it’s a demand for rights, visibility, and freedom. It’s a time to remember that millions of people around the world still face discrimination, violence, or rejection simply for being who they are or loving who they love. Celebrating Pride is saying “we are here,” with dignity, with history, and with a future.

But how and why did it all begin?
The modern history of the LGBTQ+ movement has a turning point: the early hours of June 28, 1969, in New York City, when trans people, gay men, lesbians, and drag queens said “enough” to police abuse at the Stonewall Inn, a bar in the Greenwich Village neighborhood.

Stonewall Inn in the Greenwich village (NYC)

That night, for the first time, the community came together to resist repression in an organized way. Over several days, protests and riots sparked what we now know as the international LGBTQ+ movement. It was thanks to the courage of people like Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera—racialized trans women and tireless activists—that the fight for freedom and rights truly began, a fight that still continues today.

Marsha P. Johnson & Sylvia Rivera

Why is it still important today?
Although we’ve come a long way since Stonewall, there are still many reasons to keep taking to the streets:

• In many countries, being LGBTQ+ is still illegal, and in some, it can even lead to the death penalty.
• Hate speech and homophobic and transphobic violence are still on the rise.
• Trans and non-binary people face higher rates of unemployment, exclusion, and violence.
• Representation in media, politics, and business is still limited or stereotyped.

Pride is a political act. It is visibility, memory, and hope. It’s about honoring those who paved the way and committing to keep fighting until being yourself is no longer an act of bravery.

Pride is every day
June is just one month, but Pride doesn’t stop there. Every gesture, every word, every safe space we create matters. Diversity is richness, and celebrating Pride also means building a fairer world—one where no one has to hide to be happy.

#BEYOURSELF #NOFEAR #NOAPOLOGIES #AMOR #LOVE