Pride Month 2023

June 01, 2023 - Announcements

Dear AMDA Community,

June is Pride Month, and we are delighted to usher in a month that is dedicated to celebrating our LGBTQIA+ family and friends, a community that needs our allyship more than ever.  

The history of Pride Month began on June 28, 1969 in New York City. The police raided The Stonewall Inn, a gay club in Greenwich Village, resulting in bar patrons, staff and nearby residential neighbors on Christopher Street fighting back and rioting over the course of six days. It was a powerful stance against bigotry, homophobia and oppression led by transgender activists Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera and Stormé DeLarverie. It was a long overdue demand that the LGBTQIA+ community be allowed to safely socialize without fear of arrest or public condemnation. To listen to icons Sylvia, Marsha, and others tell their own stories, check out the podcast “Making Gay History: LGBTQ Oral Histories from the Archive.” 

A year after the riots, bisexual activist Brenda Howard (known as “The Mother of Pride”) organized Gay Pride week and the Christopher Street Liberation Day Parade. This was the beginning of what would eventually become the New York City Pride March and the model for many other parades, walks and events all over the world. 

Bill Clinton was the first U.S. President to officially recognize Pride Month in 1999 and 2000. And from 2009 to 2016, Barack Obama declared June LGBT Pride Month.

Even after decades of celebrating Pride, it is no longer enough to say “Love is Love.” We have to actively protect and stand with the LGBTQIA+ community in the face of present day discriminatory practices like the new anti-homosexuality law in Uganda and Florida’s onslaught of anti-LGBTQ bills being spearheaded and approved by Ron DeSantis.

We invite you to join us in both advocacy and celebration during Pride month and beyond.

NEW YORK: AMDA NY is participating in PrideFest NYC, the street fair that is part of the NYC Pride festivities. You can check out our booth on Sunday, June 25th, from 11:00am - 6:00pm ET in Greenwich Village, conveniently located near the Pride March route. If you are interested in volunteering, click here to sign up for a shift. 

LOS ANGELES: AMDA LA is participating in the LA Pride Festival. In collaboration with Tony Zimbardi and the Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion staff, Student Affairs will be hosting a table at this year’s LA Pride Festival on June 11th from 10:30am - 8:00pm PT. If you are interested in volunteering, click here to sign up for a shift.

Together we will support and fight for a more equitable, just and caring world.

In Community,

The Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion