By Connecticut Children’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Team
Happy Pride! As we come together to celebrate the LGBTQIA community, let’s also learn about some surprising facts behind Pride Month (June) and why we celebrate…
1. There are 17 different Pride flags.
The traditional six-color rainbow flag isn’t the only one that flies high. Today, each flag has its own unique design to celebrate a huge variety of communities. The meanings behind them have their own history that contributes to the entire LGBTQIA community to create a diverse and inclusive culture. Today.com has a great explanation of all the different Pride flags.
2. The original Pride flag had 8 colors and dates back to the late 1970s.
Gilbert Baker designed the first pride flag in 1978 in San Francisco which was unveiled during Gay Freedom Day in June of that year. Here are the meanings behind each of the eight colors:
- Hot pink—sex
- Red—life
- Orange—healing
- Yellow—sunlight
- Green—nature
- Turquoise—magic
- Blue—serenity
- Violet—spirit
3. 1956 was a shocking year in Connecticut for the LGBTQIA community.
It was this year that the Connecticut Department of Mental Health referred to “behavior” that was not considered heterosexual as sociopathic. Treatments ranged from electroshock therapy to lobotomy—in addition to conversion therapy. All of these practices are very harmful in creating an inclusive world with access to beneficial mental health services. Clearly, we’ve come a long way even though there’s still work to be done.
4. 1971 was an important year for transgender people in Hartford.
This year, the Twenty Club was founded in Hartford as a support group for transgender people. It was led by Canon Clinton Jones of Christ Church Cathedral in Hartford and Dr. George Higgins, a Trinity College professor. The club met for nearly 30 years.
See the entire timeline of LGBTQIA history in Connecticut.
5. The Stonewall Riots of 1969 were considered the start of the modern gay rights movement in America.
The Stonewall Inn in New York City was a safe space for the LGBTQIA community to gather. After it was raided by police, many protests and riots followed for a week afterwards. This event was the catalyst for the entire gay rights movement that followed across the nation.
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