Learn More about #prIDE Month: LGBTQ+ Resources, Newsmakers and Historical Events
Cook Children's is dedicated to our values of Kindness and Respect. This is a reason why we put Inclusion first, then Diversity and Equity. We're using the hashtag #prIDE this month as a way to show support for our LGBTQ+ employees and reinforce our commitment to Inclusion, Diversity and Equity. We've compiled a list of resources and FAQs as our community observes Pride Month.
What is Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ+) Pride Month?
The purpose of the commemorative month is to recognize the impact that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, and asexual individuals have had on history locally, nationally, and internationally, according to the Library of Congress.
What is the history behind Pride Month in the U.S.?
“Pride Month takes place each year during June to honor the June 28, 1969, Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan, which most historians consider to be the birth of the modern LGBT movement. At the time, police raids on bars catering to LGBT patrons were common, but that night, the patrons of the Stonewall Inn fought back. While historical accounts of the night vary, the violent response ignited a national firestorm of activism that brought new visibility to the struggle for LGBT equality,” according to GLAAD, a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer media advocacy organization.
“The Stonewall Uprising was a tipping point for the Gay Liberation Movement in the United States. The first Pride March in New York City was held on June 28, 1970, on the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising. 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,” according to the Library of Congress.
How is Pride Month observed?
In the United States, LGBTQ+ Pride celebrations typically occur in June, but events may take place at different times of the year, according to GLAAD.
Celebrations include festivals, parades, picnics, workshops, concerts, and other events. Memorials are held this month for community members who have been lost to hate crimes or HIV/AIDS.
The Dallas Pride festival and parade are on June 3-4. In Fort Worth, Trinity Pride Fest 2023 is on June 24.
Where can I get more information about the LGBTQ+ community and Pride Month?
The collections of the Library of Congress contain many books, artistic works, sound recordings, manuscripts and other material produced by, about and for the LGBTQI+ community. Access them here.
LGBTQ+ Resources
Terminology:
National resources:
- Resources - Human Rights Campaign (hrc.org)
- The Trevor Project
- The Fenway Institute
- LGBT National Help Center
Community resources:
Cook Children’s policies:
- HR 660 Anti-Discrimination/Anti-Harassment Policy: Cook Children’s is committed to providing a workplace environment free from discrimination and harassment for all personnel. (You must be on the system to read.)
- HR 480 Equal Employment Opportunity: Cook Children’s provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants (HR 480). (You must be on the system to read.)
Learn more about some important trailblazers and significant events
1890 – Birth of Alan Hart who pioneered the use of the X-ray for tuberculosis diagnosis and one of the first transgender men in history.
1951 - Born in 1951, Sylvia Rivera was a Puerto Rican-Venezuelan transgender woman and gay rights activist. Known for being a veteran of the Stonewall Uprising in 1969.
1939 – Alan Turing, a British mathematician and gay man, designed a code-breaking machine known as the Bombe allowing the Allied powers to decipher German encryptions, helping to end World War II.
1960s – Marsha P. Johnson was a Black transgender woman, known for her activism efforts in the 1960s and 1970s. She is attributed as an event organizer and key member of the Stonewall Uprising. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera created the STAR group to provide support for gay pioneers and housing to many homeless LGBTQ+ youth in the 1970s.
1966 - Barbara Jordan, a civil rights leader and attorney, became the first African American elected to the Texas Senate in 1966, and the first woman and first African American elected to the U.S. Congress from Texas in 1972. She was the first LGBTQ+ woman in Congress.
1970 - The first Pride March in New York City was held on June 28, 1970.
1978 (June 25) – In San Francisco, the Rainbow Flag is first flown during the Gay Freedom Parade. It became a symbol of gay and lesbian pride. It was designed by artist Gilbert Baker.
1978 – Gay rights pioneer Harvey Milk was assassinated on Nov. 27, 1978, one year after becoming California’s first openly gay elected official.
1982 - Larry Kramer co-founded the advocacy group Gay Men’s Health Crisis and in 1987 the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP), which coined the iconic SILENCE = DEATH logo that became a symbol for the AIDS crisis.
1983 - Astronaut Sally K. Ride was the first American woman to travel in space in June 1983 aboard the Challenger space shuttle. She was the first acknowledged LGBTQ+ astronaut.
1999 (June 11) – President Bill Clinton declared June 1999 “Gay and Lesbian Pride Month.”
2015 – Obergefell v. Hodges (U.S. Supreme Court Decision)
The decision mandated that states must allow same-sex couples to legally marry.