🌈 Why Pride Is Still a Protest

Every June, rainbows flood city streets, corporate logos get a temporary makeover, and parades burst with music, glitter, and celebration. For many, Pride feels like a party, and that’s not entirely wrong. But it’s important to remember that Pride didn’t start as a celebration. It started as a protest. And in many ways, it still is.

✊ Pride Began With a Riot

The roots of Pride trace back to the Stonewall Uprising of 1969, when LGBTQ+ people, particularly Black and brown trans women like Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, fought back against police harassment at the Stonewall Inn in New York City. For years, queer people had endured raids, arrests, and systemic violence. That night, they said "no more."

Pride was born from that resistance. The first Pride march in 1970 was a radical act: a public declaration that LGBTQ+ people existed, deserved rights, and would not be silent.

🛑 The Fight Isn't Over

More than 50 years later, many gains have been made, but the fight is far from over. In 2025, we’re still facing:

• Anti-LGBTQ+ legislation targeting trans youth, drag performers, and gender-affirming care

• Discrimination in employment, housing, and healthcare, especially for trans people and queer people of color

• Violence, including the continued murders of Black trans women at alarming rates

• Book bans and curriculum restrictions erasing queer history and identities from schools

When queer people are under attack, Pride cannot simply be a party. It must remain a platform for resistance, awareness, and advocacy.

Pride NYC 1975 The image from The Stonewall Inn Official Instagram Page @thestonewallinn

The Danger of Rainbow Washing

In recent years, many companies have embraced Pride, but often in a shallow way. Slapping a rainbow on a logo without backing it up with real support or inclusive practices is known as rainbow washing.

When corporations profit from queer culture while remaining silent about anti-LGBTQ+ policies or funding politicians who support them, they are not allies. They are opportunists.

We must hold them accountable and refocus Pride on community, not consumerism.

Pride as Radical Joy

Protest doesn’t always look like chanting in the streets. Sometimes, protest is joy in the face of oppression. It is trans people thriving despite barriers. It is queer elders dancing at parades. It is a young nonbinary kid realizing they are not alone.

Pride is protest because our very existence, authentic, unashamed, and visible, is political in a world that tries to erase us.

What Can You Do?

If you are wondering how to honor Pride as a protest this year, consider:

• Supporting queer led organizations, especially those serving marginalized communities

• Calling out injustice, whether in policy or in your personal circles

• Learning and amplifying the stories of queer activists past and present

• Being visible, if it’s safe for you to do so, and supporting those who can’t

Pride Is More Than a Parade

So yes, wear your glitter. Dance in the streets. Love out loud. But remember: Pride is not just a party. It is a legacy of resistance and a call to action that still echoes today.

Happy Pride. Stay loud, stay proud and keep fighting!