Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month (LGBT Pride Month) is celebrated each year in the month of June to honor the 1969 Stonewall riots in New York City. In June of 1969, patrons and supporters of the Stonewall Inn staged an uprising to resist the police harassment and persecution to which LGBT Americans were commonly subjected. This uprising marked the beginning of a movement to outlaw discriminatory laws and practices against LGBT Americans. Today, LGBT Pride Month celebrations include pride parades, picnics, parties, workshops, symposia and concerts, attracting millions of participants around the world.
In schools and classrooms, LGBT Pride Month is an excellent time to talk with students about LGBT people and their struggles to achieve equal rights and treatment in all aspects of their lives. It is an opportunity to discover important LGBT people in history, read literature that features LGBT people, analyze homophobia/heterosexism and explore its causes and solutions. As with other similarly themed months, it is important not to isolate the exploration of LGBT people and culture into one month during the year. LGBT history is American history and should be integrated into the curriculum throughout the school year.
