IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser.

When is Pride Month? What to know about this year’s events

Plus, get a list of dates for marches and celebrations happening in 2023.

Spotlighting LGBTQ voices is important every day of the year.

However, it's during Pride Month that members of the community and LGBTQ history are officially recognized in a month-long commemoration.

Each June, members, supporters and allies gather at marches and other organized events in the U.S. and around the world in honor of Pride Month. And while the commemoration often includes uplifting celebrations, it's also a time to reflect on the history of the movement and remember those lost to violence and the AIDs crisis.

Interested in finding ways to show your support? Along with public gatherings, parades and remembrances, there are other ways to join in Pride Month including posting LGBTQ quotes on Instagram, watching relevant films or reading any of the latest books written by LGBTQ authors.

Regardless of how you choose to observe Pride this year, the best place to start is with awareness. So, keep reading to find out when Pride Month is, along with why we started celebrating in the first place. Then make sure to mark some of these special events on your calendar, so you don't miss a thing.

When is Pride Month?

June is Pride Month. Although it runs through June 30, Pride Month typically wraps up with a series of events scheduled on or around June 28, the anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising.

Why is Pride Month celebrated in June?

Before Pride Month, there was Gay Pride Day, which was first celebrated on June 28, 1970. Over time, the day turned into an entire month of celebrations and remembrances — and thus Pride Month was born.

The particular date in June marks the anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising, also known as the Stonewall Riots.

During the early morning hours of June 28, 1969, police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay club in New York City. In the days that followed, crowds gathered at the Stonewall Inn in protest, leading to violence and riots.

The rebellion lasted for six days and the result was an increased awareness around LGBTQ issues, as well as the creation of a variety of advocacy groups to address inequalities and discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer individuals.

After being unofficially recognized for years, Pride Month was acknowledged on a federal level by President Bill Clinton, who declared June "Gay and Lesbian Pride Month" in 1999.

Since then, Pride month has expanded to be inclusive of all voices including those who identify as bisexual, transgender, queer, asexual, non-straight and non-cisgender.

What are some important calendar dates during Pride Month?

There are a number of important Pride Month dates to circle on your calendar throughout June. Here are the ones to know:

  • June 5: HIV Long-Term Survivors Day, honors and increases visibility around HIV survivor issues and needs
  • June 12: Pulse Remembrance Day, a remembrance of the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting victims
  • June 19: Juneteenth, a commemoration of African American culture and the emancipation of African American slaves
  • June 27: National HIV Testing Day, encourages individuals to be tested for HIV
  • June 28: Stonewall Riots Anniversary, commemorates the 1969 Stonewall Uprising
  • June 30: Queer Youth of Faith Day, to celebrate and empower LGBTQ youth of different faiths

When and where are 2023's Pride Month events?

Along with the U.S., other countries around the world observe and celebrate Pride Month in June including Canada, Australia, Brazil, Spain, Germany and the United Kingdom.

Of all the Pride celebrations and events, one of the largest is, unsurprisingly, in New York City, the place where the LGBTQ movement began in 1969.

This year, after a month-long celebration with various events, New York will host its annual NYC Pride March on Sunday, June 25, 2023.

Here’s a list of other notable Pride Month events happening across the country this June: