International Gay Pride Day is celebrated on June 28, so now is a good time to learn about its history and how it has evolved over the years. It is a very important event that is held every year in many cities around the world to fight for the dignity and equality of people who belong to the LGTBIQ + collective.
Currently, sexual diversity continues to be criminalized in many countries , such as Nigeria, Sudan or Saudi Arabia, where homosexuals can be sentenced to death. According to the OECD, Spain is the fifth country that more and better protects the rights of the people of the LGTBIQ + community.
History of Gay Pride Day
The origin of the celebration dates back to June 28, 1969, when the Stonewall riots occurred in New York City. They were a turning point in the fight for gay rights.
In the 1960s, very few venues accepted gay people . One of them was Stonewall, whose property was in the hands of the mob. Although it welcomed all types of clients, the majority were gays, transsexuals, homeless youth, drag queens and male prostitutes.
At that time raids against these types of pubs were very common. But something changed on June 28, 1969 . At one point the police officers lost control of the situation, and the clients rebelled. For several days there was great tension between the forces of order and the homosexual neighbors of the area.
It was then that the latter decided to fight for their rights and organize to be able to be in more places without fear of being arrested. In 1970 the first Gay Pride marches were held in New York and Los Angeles .
Little by little other cities were added. In Spain, the first Gay Pride event took place in Barcelona in 1977 .
Gay Pride demonstration in Madrid in 2021
The Gay Pride demonstration will take place on July 3 between Atocha and Colón starting at 8:00 p.m. Due to anti-Covid restrictions there will be no traditional floats and no concerts. All performances will be indoors, although screens will be installed to follow them live. The capacity will be limited to 25,000 people.
