PrideFest is a nationally celebrated event that is usually held in June. The festival is held in major cities across the United States as a celebration of its lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. Many PrideFests have become a city wide festival that attracts food, music and parades that the entire community participates in as an opportunity to celebrate diversity.
And while hundreds of thousands of Americans gather to show their support for the GLBT community, the actual story of how this celebration came to be isn't as well known. The reason the country celebrates GLBT pride in late June every year, began in New York City in Greenwich Village on June 28, 1969.
In the early hours of morning that day, police raided a small bar named the Stonewall Inn, predominately known for its gay clientele. The club was invaded on a charge of illegal sale of alcohol and each customer was released except for the bar staff, three drag queens and two male-to-female transsexuals. During the raid a crowd began to gather outside of the bar, cheering each time a customer was released. But when the detainees were brought outside to be taken away, the crowd grew angry and a riot ensued. In the end, 13 people were arrested and some officers were injured during the commotion.
The next day and throughout the week, protesters would gather outside the closed-down bar. But they did not riot, many gay men from around the area showed up to protest the raid on the bar. But they were not violent, instead they protested by handholding, showing affection, and forming a chorus line. The police cleared the protests with no further altercations.
Later in July, gay activists gathered calling for a mass meeting and the Gay Liberation Front (GLF) was formed on July 24, 1969. At that time there were only a few dozen gay organizations in the United States, and within a few years after that there were over 400. The GLF began gathering to remember this historic event every June and each year, the celebration grew.
Now every year these events are remembered in June across America as the beginning of a movement. Millions of people participate in pride events across the country. Large cities host giant celebrations like Milwaukee, Denver and Ft. Lauderdale where they are nationally known for the festivals they host. But it's important to remember it all began in New York City when a group of men stood up with pride.
The Curtis Hotel http://www.thecurtis.com/ is a unique retro-style hotel in downtown Denver that offers lower rates during Denver's PrideFest.
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