Pride is celebrated worldwide in the month of June. Pride month uplifts the LGBTQ+ culture and the support of LGBTQ+ rights. For many, Pride is a time for raising awareness; remembrance, love and support for those we’ve lost; and a tribute to those that made it possible. It’s easy to get lost in the celebration of Pride but attacks on the LGBTQ+ community in recent years remind us all why it’s important to highlight the contributions and value of the LGBTQ+ community.

Pride History

The roots of Pride stretch back to the 1960s. During this period, there were annual marches advocating for basic civil rights for the LGBTQ+ community. June 28th 2020, marks the 51st anniversary of “The Stonewall Upraising,” which sparked the Gay Liberation Movement. In the early hours of June 28th, 1969, a group of customers at The Stonewall Inn, a popular gay bar in New York’s West Village, took a stand and fought back against repeated raids by the police on the bar. As word spread out throughout the city, many men and women joined the cause with over 1,000 ultimately participating.

The demonstration continued for days, spreading throughout the city. Later, in commemoration of the riots, came the first Christopher Street Liberation Day followed by the first Pride parade a year later.

In 1978, an artist name Gilbert Baker created the rainbow flag, which has become a symbol of LGBTQ+ Pride worldwide. Though many subgroups of the community have their own flag or identifying symbols, the rainbow flag has come to represent the diversity and inclusion of the overall community. In the widely known six-color flag, red is symbolic of life; orange of spirit; yellow of sunshine; green of nature; blue of harmony; and purple of spirit. There have been many variations on the flag, but due to recent events this year the flag has been altered in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter protest. As such, black and brown have been included to represent diversity and inclusivity, along with light blue, pink, and white to represent the transgender community.

The fight and advocacy for equal rights for the LGBTQ+ community continues. On June 15, the community won another battle with the U.S Supreme Court decision to protect the LGBTQ+ people against workplace discrimination. Now, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 also prohibits discrimination in the workplace because of gender identity and sexual orientation.

Why do we celebrate Pride?

Why do we celebrate Pride? I think Pride is best reflected in the name itself: our community is proud of our differences and celebrates the uniqueness – and yes, queerness – that we possess. As a RoundPointer and part of the LGBTQ+ community, I’m proud that this company honors and celebrates the diversity and inclusion that strengthens who we are as a community. RoundPoint Mortgage Servicing LLC supports us, embraces us, and celebrates us, providing a safe environment for all employees, free of harassment and discrimination. RoundPoint Mortgage Servicing LLC is an ally to the LGBTQ+ Community, and I’m proud to be a RoundPointer.