June

Pride Month is about LGBTQIA+ communities and allies coming together in celebration and solidarity, and to continue to raise awareness of the inequalities and discrimination faced by LGBTQIA+ communities around the world and to campaign for equal rights and freedoms for all.

The importance of Pride Month extends beyond just celebrating our differences - it’s also about spreading love and acceptance worldwide. Pride allows us to come together as one united community under one common goal: creating a world where everyone can live without fear or discrimination based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.

QMU prides itself on its welcoming community and creating a place where people feel recognised and heard. This June, as well as throughout the year, we recognise the experiences and achievements of the LGBTQIA+ community, celebrate the great diversity of our communities, and support the right of every individual to live authentically.

Pride month started as a riot against police brutality at a small dive bar in New York City called the Stonewall Inn in 1969.

At the time, there existed outdated “masquerade” or “cross-dressing” laws that suggested a “man” or a “woman” must be wearing a certain number of clothing items that matched the gender on their state-issued ID.

The police took advantage of these laws to raid drinking establishments and arrest transgender and gender non-conforming individuals.

Just after midnight on June 28, 1969, the police raided the Stonewall Inn like they had many times before. Only, this time, something unusual happened: Stonewall patrons fought back.

On 1 July 1972, the UK’s first Pride march was held in London. The date was chosen as the closest Saturday to the anniversary of the Stonewall riots of 1969.