Pride: From Protest to Power - Why It Still Matters

Each June, we gather in celebration. We dress in color, dance in the streets, and hold one another close. But Pride wasn’t born out of glitter and parades. Pride was born out of resistance.

Marsha P Johnson and Sylvia Rivera

The Roots of Pride: A Response to Injustice

In the early hours of June 28, 1969, police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in New York City that offered refuge to many in the LGBTQ+ community, particularly trans women of color, drag queens, and homeless queer youth. Raids like this were common, and most queer people lived in fear of being outed, arrested, or assaulted simply for existing.

But that night, something shifted. The community fought back. Led by trans activists like Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, patrons resisted arrest and stood their ground. What followed was a series of protests that lasted for several days, now known as the Stonewall Uprising.

One year later, thousands marched through Manhattan in what became the first Pride march, commemorating the uprising and demanding rights and recognition for LGBTQ+ people.

Pride Was and Still Is Political

Heartland Men's Chorus Float

Pride was never just a celebration. It was a call to action. A declaration that queer lives have value and deserve freedom.

Throughout the 1970s, Pride marches spread to cities across the country. The 1980s brought new urgency as the AIDS crisis devastated the LGBTQ+ community, and Pride events became both acts of remembrance and rallying cries for government action.

The 1990s and early 2000s saw a growing movement for legal rights, from marriage equality to workplace protections, but also backlash, violence, and continued stigma. Pride remained a vital space for community, healing, and visibility.

Why Pride Still Matters Today

Some might ask: “Do we still need Pride?” The answer is yes, more than ever.

• Trans and nonbinary people, especially youth and people of color, face escalating attacks on their rights, from healthcare bans to exclusion from public spaces.

• Queer youth are disproportionately at risk of homelessness, bullying, and suicide, especially when they lack family or community support.

• Black and Brown LGBTQ+ people continue to face overlapping systems of discrimination.

• And globally, queer people in over 60 countries are still criminalized for who they are.

Pride reminds us that we're not done. It’s a time to celebrate how far we’ve come, and recommit to the work still ahead.

The Power of Pride in Community

Pride is powerful because it brings us together. It reminds us of our shared humanity and the joy that comes from being fully ourselves. Whether you’re dancing in a parade, attending a sober dinner party, marching in protest, or simply surviving another day, you are part of a legacy of resistance, resilience, and radical love.

At Queer Connect KC, we believe Pride isn’t just a once-a-year event. It’s a way of life. A daily act of choosing visibility, choosing joy, choosing to show up, for ourselves and for each other.

Let’s remember where we came from. Let’s celebrate where we are. And let’s build what comes next, together.