This June marks the 52nd celebration of Pride Month, a time when people come together in support of the LGBTQIA+ community.
Pride Month is celebrated each June to commemorate the 1969 Stonewall uprising, to protest against injustice and inequality and to recognize the impacts of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex and asexual (LGBTQIA+) individuals. The 1969 Stonewall uprising comprised of six days of riots in retaliation for ongoing police violence towards patrons of a Greenwich Village gay bar, the Stonewall Inn.
A response to targeted harassment and systemic inequality, the Stonewall riots are generally considered to have been a catalyst for the gay rights movement in the United States and around the world. Yearly commemorations of the beginning of the uprising (June 28) began in 1970 in New York City and since then have transformed into celebrations that span the entire month of June and are held across the country and around the world.
Today, we celebrate LGBTQIA+ Pride by raising high the achievements and contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex and asexual members of the UNCG community. LGBTQIA+ students, staff, faculty and alumni enhance the UNCG educational experience by being role models in their embrace of the UNCG values, especially openness, diversity and courage.
Books to Read During Pride Month:
- The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
- Less by Andrew Sean Greer
- In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado
- Rainbow Boy by Taylor Rouanzion
- Julián Is a Mermaid by Jessica Love
- Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
- Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall
- The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
- Punch Me Up to the Gods: A Memoir by Brian Broome
