Professor Martha Brenckle occasionally recalls a group of people she never met who congregated at Bill Federick Park in Turkey Lake more than 40 years ago.
This average bunch of folks created Orlando’s first pride picnic.
“It’s really astonishing to me that they accomplished it – these ordinary individuals with ordinary occupations — they weren’t politicians or superstars,” Brenckle adds. “Yet here they were in 1979, putting their necks out, making themselves conspicuous, in order to improve the lives of others.” I believe we must keep those folks in mind today and take up their charge.”
Brenckle lives his life with pride all year long. She was a founding member of UCF’s Pride Faculty and Staff Association more than a decade ago. She is the treasurer of the LGBTQ History Museum of Central Florida, a member of Equality Florida, and a former member of The Center’s board.
She contributes to the understanding of the history and significance of the nation’s Pride and LGBTQ History Months.
“I hope we can all remember that everyone is deserving of respect.” Everyone is entitled to certain rights. “Everyone is deserving of kindness,” Brenckle says.
When is Pride Month?
June. Despite the fact that it has been honoured for almost 50 years, President Bill Clinton formally designated June as Gay and Lesbian Pride Month in 2000. In 2011, President Barack Obama extended the celebration to include Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month.
Today’s celebrations include pride parades, picnics, parties, seminars, symposia, and concerts, and LGBT Pride Month activities draw millions of people worldwide. It is also typical for memorials to be conducted during this month for community members who have died as a result of hate crimes or HIV/AIDS.
Why do we celebrate Pride Month?
Pride Month was founded by the Stonewall Uprising in 1969 and seeks to establish equality of justice and opportunity for LGBTQ Americans. The goal of the month is to celebrate the influence that LGBTQ people have had on society on a local, national, and worldwide level.
“These are people who have spent so long living in the closet and hiding their true selves,” Brenkle adds. “I believe it’s really essential to emphasise that, as well as the reality that things are still not ideal.” Although we have same-sex marriage, we do not have adoption rights in every state. In every state, we do not have the same work rights. We still have students who have been evicted from their homes for speaking up. Things are still difficult in our everyday life. Those issues, in my opinion, should be brought up and discussed. “It is because of this understanding that these pride activities are so vital.”
What is the Stonewall Uprising?
The Stonewall Uprising, which took place on June 28, 1969, was a watershed moment in the United States’ Gay Liberation Movement. The Stonewall Inn in New York City’s Greenwich Village was a homosexual club and haven for many members of the LGBTQ community in the 1960s. On June 28, 1969, New York City police stormed the inn, resulting in a fight between bar patrons and area residents, and the cops. Hundreds of people were part in the incident, which resulted in six days of demonstrations and violent battles with police authorities outside the bar on Christopher Street, adjoining streets, and nearby Christopher Park.
A year later, on June 28, hundreds of people marched from the Stonewall Inn to Central Park in what was then known as “Christopher Street Liberation Day,” establishing the nation’s first homosexual pride parade. Since 1970, LGBTQ+ persons and allies have gathered in June to march with pride and advocate for equal rights.
When is LGBT History Month?
October. Rodney Wilson, a high school history teacher in Missouri, founded LGBT History Month in 1994. LGBT History Month was added to the list of commemoration months in 1995 by a resolution voted by the National Education Association’s General Assembly. The month of October was chosen to coincide with National Coming Out Day (Oct. 11), which was previously established, and the anniversary of the first march for gay and lesbian rights in Washington, D.C. in 1979.
“I would advise folks to learn about Equality Florida’s Nadine Smith and Gina Duncan as leaders in the movement today,” adds Brenkle.
On Oct. 20, people across the country wear purple in support of LGBT youth; Ally Week, a week in which allies against LGBT bullying are celebrated; and the anniversary of 21-year-old Matthew Shepard’s murder on Oct. 12, 1998, which resulted in the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act in 2009.
Why do we celebrate LGBT History Month?
The purpose of the month is to recognise and celebrate the history and accomplishments of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals. “During the early years, the festival was predominantly distinguished by a call to action and commemoration,” according to GLAAD. However, LGBT History Month has evolved into a countrywide coordinated effort to honour great LGBT role models. This campaign has been led by the LGBT rights and education group Equality Forum since 2006.”
When does Orlando hold its pride parade?
The first pride parade in Orlando took place in 1991 as part of a modest event organised by Orlando Regional Pride. It was changed to October 2005 to coincide with National Coming Out Day. This year’s “Come Out with Pride” event will take place on October 15, attracting locals and visitors from throughout the country to downtown Orlando. In addition, the National Trans Visibility March will take place immediately before this year’s Pride Parade.
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