June is Pride Month. Cities and states across the country have spent the last few weeks celebrating LGBTQ history and culture.
But Pride didn’t begin as a celebration. It began as a protest.
The 1969 Stonewall riots in New York City kicked off in response to police raids on gay bars and nightclubs. Raids often resulted in police brutality and violence. A march was planned a year after the uprising the commemorate what it stood for, eventually morphing into the celebration of the LGBTQ community we know today.
Since then, Pride has looked a little different.And Pride’s relationship with the police looks different too. Since 1996, uniformed police officers have marched in the New York City Pride parade, and many of them belong to the LGBTQ community themselves. This year, they won’t be allowed to do so.
What role should police play in Pride? And what role does Pride play in LGBTQ culture?
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