From parties to parades, celebrate Pride Month in North Texas
NORTH TEXAS (CBSNewsTexas) - Pride Month, when the world's LGBTQ communities converge to celebrate the freedom to be themselves, has begun.
The purpose of the commemorative month is to recognize the impact that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals have had on history locally, nationally, and internationally.
Rooted in the history of minority groups who have struggled to overcome prejudice, Pride Month pays homage to the Stonewall uprising in June 1969 in New York City. It was a tipping point for the Gay Liberation Movement in the United States. It was a catalyst for an emerging gay rights movement as organizations such as the Gay Liberation Front and the Gay Activists Alliance were formed, modeled after the civil rights movement and the women's rights movement. Members held protests, met with political leaders and interrupted public meetings to hold those leaders accountable. A year after the Stonewall riots, the nation's first Gay Pride marches were held.
In 2016 the area around the Stonewall Inn, still a popular nightspot today, was designated a national monument.
Starting June 1, celebrations in North Texas include ceremonies, parades, parties and concerts.
The City of Dallas hosted a flag raising ceremony at Dallas Love Field and Dallas City Hall. Their Pride flag will fly above city buildings throughout the month of June.
Not far away from City Hall in downtown, Reunion Tower will run its Pride light show throughout the month.
Non-profit organization Dallas Pride returns to Fair Park June 3-4 with several rainbow centric events.
The Dallas Pride Alan Ross Texas Freedom Parade takes place Sunday, 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., in Fair Park. It's free and will feature outrageous costumes, inventive floats, bands, groups and more marching in support of the LGBTQ+ community. The mile-long event features more than 150 parade entries.
Parking is available at Fair Park for $10, or attendees may take the DART Green Line directly to Fair Park.
Click here for a list of more Pride events in Dallas.
What's the origin of the rainbow flag?
In 1978, artist and designer Gilbert Baker was commissioned by San Francisco city supervisor Harvey Milk -- one of the first openly gay elected officials in the US -- to make a flag for the city's upcoming Pride celebrations.
Baker, a prominent gay rights activist, gave a nod to the stripes of the American flag but drew inspiration from the rainbow to reflect the many groups within the gay community.
A subset of flags represent other sexualities on the spectrum, such as bisexual, pansexual and asexual.
Who celebrates Pride Month?
Pride events welcome anyone who feels like their sexual identity falls outside the mainstream -- although many straight people join in, too.
LGBTQ+ is an acronym meaning lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer. The term sometimes is extended to include intersex and asexual groups. Queer is an umbrella term for non-straight people; intersex refers to those whose sex is not clearly defined because of genetic, hormonal or biological differences; and asexual describes those who don't experience sexual attraction.
These terms may also include gender-fluid people, or those whose gender identity shifts over time or depending on the situation.
Can I participate in Pride events if I'm not LGBTQ+?
Everyone is welcome! Pride events welcome allies from outside the LGBTQ+ community.
