The Complex Intersection of Pride: Celebration, History, and the Fight Ahead
June is always a whirlwind of energy. It’s the official start of summer, the end of the school year for kids across the country, and of course, Pride. But this year, the atmosphere feels a bit different.
To understand why Pride feels so heavy yet so vital right now, we have to open the history books.
The Ground We Stand On: The Stonewall Era
Pride began as a way to honor the 1969 uprising at the Stonewall Inn in New York City. At that time, simply living openly as gay, lesbian, or trans was treated as a crime.
Sodomy Laws: Same-sex intimacy was classified as a felony, carrying heavy prison sentences.
Criminalizing Identity: Police routinely arrested people on "disorderly conduct" charges for wearing gender-nonconforming clothes or showing affection to a same-sex partner.
State-Sanctioned Harassment: Police regularly raided bars known to serve the LGBTQ+ community, specifically to harass, beat, and arrest patrons.
If the legal system wasn't enough, the medical establishment weaponized mental health against the community. Homosexuality was classified as a mental illness until the American Psychiatric Association finally removed it from the DSM in 1973. Before that, people could be forcibly institutionalized simply for who they loved.
This is not ancient history. Many of us were alive during these times. If you were not, your parents and grandparents were. I was alive when homosexuality was still in the DSM.
Inching closer to current times, it wasn’t until the mid-1990s that we finally saw an openly queer lead actor on television. I still vividly remember the watch parties we threw just to see the historic episode where Ellen DeGeneres came out on her show.
Furthermore, it wasn’t until 2013 that the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) was deemed unconstitutional, finally recognizing our marriages federally. Yet, even with that milestone, the cruelty persists in smaller, quieter ways—like the fact that certain government employees can still legally decide to refuse to facilitate the paperwork recognizing our legal relationships.
A Decade of Grief and Resiliency
Unfortunately, the attacks on our community and our basic rights never truly stopped. This June marks exactly 10 years since the horrific massacre at Pulse Nightclub in 2016. People gathered that night in a space that was supposed to be a sanctuary—a place built for community, safety, and joy. Instead, 49 people lost their lives simply because they were in a club that embraced the LGBTQ+ population. We carry their memory with us every single day, but especially now.
The Modern Battleground
When we look at the landscape today, we see a devastating rollback of human rights. Over the last few years, the legal and medical safety nets for our community have been intentionally dismantled:
Since 2024: We have witnessed a coordinated, nationwide erosion of access to gender-affirming care for trans youth and adults across multiple states.
The High Court: The Supreme Court of the United States has allowed the horrific practice of conversion therapy to continue.
As a mental health professional, I refuse to call conversion therapy a "treatment model"—it is psychological abuse, plain and simple. I, along with my peers, deeply fear the catastrophic rise in suicide rates among youth who are actively being denied life-saving, gender-affirming care.
Why We Still Gather: The Pure Joy of Pride
I’m not going to say that Pride is needed now more than ever—the truth is, it has always been desperately needed. But I will admit that Pride feels different for me this year.
In the past, it was purely about celebration. We celebrated our community, each other, and our chosen families. At Pride celebrations, we are enveloped by our people. We are surrounded by those who support us, who validate us, and who love us exactly as we are. There is something truly magical, healing, and deeply comforting about standing in a sea of people who truly get it.
And oh, the joy of it! There is a unique, electric euphoria that exists only at Pride. It’s in the collective roar of a crowd, the vibrant sea of colors, the unconditional hugs from strangers, and the freedom of shedding the armor we wear in the outside world. For a few hours, we get to exist loudly, proudly, and unapologetically.
There is a beautiful, defiant feeling at Pride events. We dance, we laugh, and we love—not because the world is perfectly safe, but because our joy is our greatest form of resistance. We celebrate because we have earned our happiness, and no one can take that away.
