The origins of Pride Month can be traced back to a June weekend in New York City in 1969.
On the night of June 27 that year, a crowd gathered as usual at the Stonewall Inn, a popular gay bar in New York City’s Greenwich Village.
New York Beverage Control Board agents and city police officers raided the bar to enforce an alcohol control law that was seldom enforced anywhere else in the city. Raids on gay establishments, however, were common at the time.
Lesbians and gay men spontaneously fought back for the first time against police harassment. The crowd inside and outside the bar erupted in resistance as officers singled out patrons to load into waiting paddy wagons. More police reinforcements were called in as local gays and lesbians united in enraged confrontation. Word of the clash spread and crowds gathered on ensuing nights to protest the mistreatment historically inflicted on the gay community.
These protests came to be known as the Stonewall Rebellion, and the uprising was the catalyst for the modern political movement for gay and lesbian liberation.
For information on why Pride is being celebrated in Oxford County check out the Oxford County Pride Guide!
CUPE is a proud advocate for 2SLGBTQ+ rights. Our commitment is to fight against discrimination and hate in our workplaces and in our communities.
Through the work of our Pink Triangle Committee and with our coalition partners, we’ve helped make strides for 2SLGBTQ+ people in Canada and internationally.
We work every day to ensure our 2SLGBTQ+ members can work in a discrimination and harassment-free environment.
