Pride month has started across the United States, bringing vibrant parades and parties to both major cities and smaller towns to honor LGBTQ+ communities. This year’s celebrations occur as the Trump administration aims to reverse some transgender rights and reduce the focus on diversity and inclusion.

Jordan Braxton, co-president of USA Prides, stresses that these celebrations often have protest roots. “A festival is a time to celebrate,” she explained. “Those are acts of resistance, too.”

The Origins of Pride Celebrations

The origins of Pride lie in the police raid of New York’s Stonewall Inn, a gay bar, on June 28, 1969. This event triggered public protests and boosted the gay rights movement during a period when many LGBTQ+ individuals concealed their identities. To mark the raid’s first anniversary, marches were held in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco in June 1970. Presently, these events occur globally, from large cities to small towns.

In 1999, President Bill Clinton issued an executive order declaring June as Gay and Lesbian Pride Month in the U.S. Democratic presidents have continued this tradition. Republican presidents, including Trump, have not signed similar proclamations.

Pride Celebrations with a Purpose

Pride events feature more than parades and street fairs. San Francisco Pride includes a golf tournament and a human rights summit. Twin Cities Pride in Minneapolis hosts a bar crawl, and Central Alabama Pride features a singing contest. This year’s main events include Los Angeles on June 14, Chicago on June 20 and 21, San Francisco on June 27, and New York on June 28. International events this month include cities like Paris, Rome, Sao Paulo, and Tokyo.

In Haddon Township, New Jersey, a suburb of Philadelphia, a formal Pride celebration marks its sixth year with a parade and community night. Isis Petrie Williams, president of Haddon Township Pride, describes the event as a “radical expression of joy, acceptance, and love, centered on exposure and community connection.” The parade will feature local high school marching bands and sports teams.

Policy Challenges Facing the LGBTQ+ Community

Previously, policies across the U.S. had been generally more accepting of LGBTQ+ people. In June 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage nationwide. Recently, policy changes have reversed this trend. The Supreme Court’s March ruling against a Colorado ban on “conversion therapy” for LGBTQ+ children, citing free speech protections, represents a setback.

Last year, during Pride Month, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed a Tennessee ban on gender-affirming care for transgender children. Republican-controlled state governments have implemented similar restrictions on gender-affirming care, barred transgender females from women’s sports competitions, and limited restroom use for transgender individuals in schools and some public facilities. Trump has advocated for these policies on a federal level.

On Monday, a court ruled that the military’s ban on transgender troops was illegal, challenging one of these policies.

Corporate Sponsorship at Pride Events

Some large corporations have decreased their sponsorship of Pride events. Braxton notes a reduction in investment firm sponsorships, following companies like Anheuser-Busch and Walmart last year. “It’s all because of Trump’s DEI policies. Corporations fear scrutiny from this administration if they sponsor a Pride event,” she said.

Despite this, smaller events have seen increased local business sponsorship. For instance, in Haddon Township, local sponsors include hospitals, restaurants, law firms, and coffee shops, though the Coast Guard has withdrawn its support.