DRC Pride Month Resources

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Pride (Personal Rights in Defense and Education) Month celebrates pride in sexual orientation and commemorates the 1969 Stonewall riots in New York City.

Police raids of gay bars in the 1950s and 1960s were routine, but when police raided the Stonewall Inn in the early hours of June 28, 1969, New York’s LGBTQ community rebelled, sick of being harassed, arrested, and prosecuted simply for being who they were.

Pride Month aims to promote the confidence, self-respect, and solidarity of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer or questioning (LGBTQ) social groups. In addition to the Stonewall riots, the month of June marks other important landmark decisions for the LQBTQ community.

      • In 1998, Executive Order 13087 prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation and expanded equal opportunity employment in the Federal government.
      • In June 1999, Proclamation No. 7203, officially recognized June as Gay and Lesbian Pride month.
      • A Supreme Court ruling in June 2003 struck down anti-sodomy laws in Texas and 13 other states.
      • In June 2009, Gay and Lesbian Pride Month was expanded to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride month under Proclamation No. 8387.
      • The Supreme Court extended federal benefits to same sex couples in United States v. Windsor in June 2013.
      • The Obergefell v. Hodges ruling in June 2015 recognized same-sex marriages.
      • The ruling on Bostock v. Clayton County in June 2020 held that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 extends to LGBTQ workers.

Despite legal and social gains, the LGBTQ community still experiences discrimination. Social stigmas have solidified in almost every aspect of life. Legislatively, 22 states, including Texas, have restricted access to gender affirming health care for transgender individuals. Discrimination in the workplace, as it exists today, is best described in this  report by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, A Workplace Divided Understanding the Climate for LGBTQ Workers Nationwide. Looking forward, we must ask ourselves, how do we prevent repeating the mistakes of the past as we approach a more equitable future?

Read and Watch:

Events:

How to be a LGBTQ Ally:

      • Join forces with employee resource groups (ERGs) by hosting an ally training course at work using Human Resource Campaign resources.
      • Register your company to complete the Corporate Equality Index.
      • Highlight Pride in the office and online. Host panels and conversations that highlight policies or initiatives that your company is doing to support inclusivity.
      • Learn about the legacy of Pride. Visit the United States Library of Congress which includes executive and legislative documents as well as additional resources.