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Pride Month

celebrating the most important period
in LGBTQ+ history

James Kearslake
James Kearslake

Small business owner,
writer, trans, mental
health advocate

Table of Contents

June, the month that LGBTQ+ people celebrate their history ✨

As Pride Month approaches, we all feel the subtle excitement of preparing to celebrate the most important month in the LGBTQ+ calendar.

It also kicks off the busy calendar of Pride events happening around the UK during the summer months.

In this article we will explain what Pride Month is, why its important, and share the calendar of 2023 Prides around the UK.

What is Pride Month?

Pride Month is celebrated around the world each year in June. It marks the history of the Stonewall Riots in June 1969, which sparked the beginning of the gay rights movement. It is the most important celebration in the annual LGTBQ+ calendar.

Different to the Pride events held in cities and towns around the world, Pride Month is a month-long celebration to observe our most important history.

Because it is a month-long observance, there is no defined way for LGBTQ+ people, allies, or organisations to honour Pride Month.

With larger companies, we see a display of content on websites and social media, and a usual merchandise haul put out for sale. And these things help, but often the grass-roots initiatives are the most authentic – instead of trying to make money from Pride Month, it should be used to reflect on one’s support of LGBTQ+ people and the current climate of increasing hate crime LGBTQ+ people are experiencing across the UK.

When is Pride Month?

Pride Month begins on June 1st and is celebrated for the whole month of June.

It doesn’t need to be celebrated every day of the month, but instead seen as a period of reflection, to honour our history of the Stonewall Riots, while considering the deteriorating state of LGBTQ+ rights and safety within the UK and around the world.

her body was found floating in the Hudson River only weeks following the marches

Why is Pride Month held in June?

It is held in June to honour the Stonewall Riots; the beginning of the change of gay rights around the world.

On 28 June 1969 in New York City, the New York City Police raided the Stonewall Inn, the now world-renowned gay pub in Greenwich Village, New York.

Having spent years being vilified by the police, public, and damaging bills that forced the closure of gay bars, or bars which chose to serve gay people, the raid on the Stonewall Inn was the final straw for LGBTQ+ New Yorkers.

As trans women and drag queens were led to toilets to have their birth sex verified by female officers, and gay men and women were pushed around, arrested, and handled aggressively, onlookers and neighbours grew agitated with the violence unfolding.

With a lesbian woman being hit over the head by an officer, she screamed for onlookers to take action, and so the Stonewall Riots began. It became five days of riots throughout the neighbourhood, sometimes involving thousands of people.

It is widely speculated that Marsha P. Johnsons (RIP), born as Malcolm Michaels Jr and self-proclaimed drag queen, along with Zazu Nova and Jackie Hormona, were key people in the push back to the police, with Marsha throwing an item that led to the ensuing chaos. Marsha denies this claim, but eyewitnesses from the evening report differently in the book Stonewall: The Riots That Sparked the Gay Revolution by David Carter.

Although riots had been happening prior to the uprising at the Stonewall Inn, this moment defines the catalyst of change for the gay rights movements in the US and has led to the annual celebration of Pride Month in June.

Stonewall The Riots That Sparked the Gay Revolution l Purchase on Audible Amazon l What is Pride Month l Pride Month 2023 l LGBTQ Wellness
The book is free when purchased through the Audible trial

Who is Marsha P Johnson?

Marsha’s life was tough, being a black, gay drag queen. She was a sex worker out of necessity, and caught HIV during the AIDS pandemic.

During the 80’s, she would sit with those in hospital dying of AIDS, and support AIDS activists on the streets of New York.

In 1992, anti-LGBT hate crimes increased exponentially, also known as ‘gay-bashing’, including an increase of attacks by the police. It led to further marches which Marsha attended.

Marsha died in 1992 when her body was found floating in the Hudson River only weeks following the marches. The police did not determine the cause of death and closed the case ruling it as suicide.

Her friends and family insist that Marsha was not suicidal, would have left a note if she was, and claimed there was an unexplained wound on the back of her head.

Activists fought to get the case reopened and in 2012 succeeded, although her cause of death was only changed to ‘undetermined’.

In her honour, The Marsha P. Johnson Institute (MPJI) was set up to protect and defend the human rights of BLACK transgender people. They do this by organising, advocating, creating an intentional community to heal, developing transformative leadership, and promoting their collective power.

Who is Marsha P Johnson l The Stonewall Riots June 1969 l What is Pride Month l Pride Month 2023 l LGBTQ Wellness
💜 Marsha P Johnson 💜

To support MPJI, Carissa Estelle launched the Marsha P Johnson goal setting journal, with a percentage of all sales going to MPJI – we love it 💛

Why are Prides held throughout the summer?

Although Pride Month is a long-month observance during June, a city or town’s Pride event serves a different purpose. In order to understand this, its important to first understand that ‘new’ Pride events are celebrations – these are the small Pride events we see cropping up year on year and represent community celebrations as LGBTQ+ inclusivity has increased.

However, original Pride events were a stand for the basic human rights, respect, and equality that LGBTQ+ sought globally.

Prides were a protest.

When the first gay pride march took place in London on 1 July 1972, it was a result of the gay rights movements coming out of America. LGBTQ+ Londoners wanted to fight back.

Manchester Pride has a gentler beginning in that it was truly a celebration of LGBTQ+ joy beginning in 1980, with fundraising and sports day events happening  each August bank holiday weekend outside the Rembrandt Hotel, the first Manchester gay pub. In 1985, it was awarded a £1,700 grant by Manchester City Council to make the event a two-week long celebration.

However, when the Tory government brought Section-28 into force in 1988, Manchester Pride became a protest. Over 20,000 people took to the streets of the city, being one of the largest LGBTQ+ protests across the UK.

Today Manchester Pride is one of the largest and most famous Pride events around the world, alongside London, Sydney, and New York.

These larger Pride events are therefore rooted in rich history of LGBTQ+ people’s fight for freedom to live happy, fulfilling lives.

However, the new Prides we see growing each year are celebrations of LGBTQ+ joy, organised by local LGBTQ+ people with their town and city councillors. They do this to continue celebrating LGBTQ+ joy, and to also increase LGBTQ+ inclusivity, and so in that sense, all Prides still remain a protest.

Pride events can be incredibly fun; often family events, messy parties, and they can be the most important celebration LGBTQ+ experience each year. But it is always important to remember the roots of Pride and honour the lives and history that has led to the celebrations we get to experience today.

Which is the biggest Pride in the UK?

The three largest Prides in the UK continue to be Brighton, Manchester, and London Pride.

Each has their own style and way in which they celebrate Pride.

Below are estimated numbers of visitors to each Pride, however the events draw higher numbers are people often visit for parts of the Pride celebrations; for instance, the London Pride parade is known for drawing in around 1.5 million visitors to the city.

Pride Event
Total visitors
1.5M
250,000
200,000

When are all UK Prides 2023?

Below is a list of UK Prides, 2023.

This list is not exhaustive as new Prides are launched every year.

If you want to add your local Pride to this list, please email us on hello@lgbtqwellness.co

North West Prides, UK 2023

Pride
Dates
Location
Website
Social
Sat 29th April
Town Hall,BL9 0SW
Wed 17th – Sat 20th May
Waterside Arts, Sale, M33 7ZF
Sat 27th May
The Carlton Club, M16 8BE
NA
Sat 17th June
Peel Park, The Crescent, M5 4WU
Sat 24th June
Wythenshawe Park
NA
Sun 16th July
Broadfield Park, OL16 1UT
NA
Fri 7th - Sun 9th July
Sackville Gardens, M1 3WA
Sat 15th July
Cheetham's Park, Stalybridge, SK15 2JR
Oldham Pride
Fri 21st – Sun 23rd July
Parliament Square, OL1 2DB
NA
Mon 24th – Sun 30th July
Various locations, see website
Pride in Bolton
Fri 28th – Sun 30th July
Pennington Hall Park, Leigh. WN7 3UA
NA
Sun 30th July
Stockport Market
Fri 11th – Sun 13th Aug
Meeting point TBC l check website
Sat 12th Aug
Meeting point TBC l check website
Prestwich Pride
Sat 12th – Mon 14th Aug
TBC
NA
Fri 25th – Mon 28th Aug
Gay Village, Canal Street, M1 3EZ
Didsbury Pride
Sat 2nd Sep
Emmanuel Church, 6 Barlow Moor Road, M20 6TR
NA
Sat 16th Sep
Meeting point TBC l check website
Liverpool Trans Pride
Sun 17th Sep
2pm Derby Square, L2 7NU
NA

Midland Prides, UK 2023

Pride
Dates
Location
Website
Social
Sat 27th – Sun 28th May
Gay Village, Hurst Street
Trans Pride Birmingham
Sat 19th Aug
TBC

South East Prides, UK 2023

Pride
Dates
Location
Website
Social
Epping Forest Pride
Thu 11th May
7PM Hive Café & Grocery
NA
Sat 1st July
Soho, W1D 4JF, Trafalgar Square WC2N 5DS
London Trans Pride
Sat 8th July
Trafalgar Square WC2N 5DS
NA
Sat 15th Jul
Meeting point TBC l check website for information
Sat 5th - Sun 6th Aug
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