Stormé DeLarverie: The Black Lesbian Who Sparked Stonewall
A Black butch lesbian in a tuxedo, a Jewel Box Revue star, and the woman whose arrest outside the Stonewall Inn in 1969 sparked the riot that built...
Pride Belongs
Belonging Blog
Flag histories, identity guides, and the practical end of it. Written by someone who wants to know who drew the thing and what the stripes were meant to say.
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Brenda Howard: The Bisexual Activist Who Created Pride Month
Pride Month exists because a 23-year-old bisexual woman from the Bronx made it happen. Meet Brenda Howard, the activist who organized the first Pride march in 1970 and...
ACT UP: How AIDS Activists Forced America to Listen
ACT UP took shape in March 1987 because the people dying refused to die quietly. Six years of die-ins, takeovers, and Silence Equals Death posters rewired American medicine....
What Is Drag? A Brief History of Drag and Why It Matters
What drag actually is, where it came from, the different forms it takes, and why drag matters right now. A history that goes back centuries, written for the...
The Lavender Scare: How the U.S. Hunted Gay Federal Workers
In 1953 the U.S. government had two enemies. The Soviets, and gay people. Inside the quiet purge that fired more federal workers than McCarthy ever did, and the...
The First Pride Parade: Christopher Street Liberation Day, 1970
On June 28, 1970, exactly one year after Stonewall, a few thousand people walked 51 blocks up Sixth Avenue and held the first Pride parade. It was called...
James Baldwin: The Black Gay Writer Who Refused to Hide
James Baldwin wasn't just one of America's greatest writers. He was a Black gay man who refused to be invisible, and his words still hit harder than most...
Audre Lorde: The Black Lesbian Poet Who Built a Movement
Audre Lorde gave us 'your silence will not protect you' and so much more. The Black lesbian poet, mother, and activist spent her life proving that difference is...
The Compton's Cafeteria Riot: The Trans Uprising Before Stonewall
Three years before Stonewall, trans women and drag queens fought back at a 24-hour San Francisco cafeteria. The Compton's riot was almost erased from history. Here is the...
Bayard Rustin: The Gay Civil Rights Hero Who Organized the March on Washington
Bayard Rustin organized the largest civil rights demonstration in American history while openly gay in the 1950s and 60s. Here is the real story of how he built...
The Pink Triangle: How a Symbol of Persecution Became a Symbol of Pride
The pink triangle started as a Nazi prison badge. Today it is one of the oldest LGBTQ+ symbols in active use. Here is how a mark of persecution...
Sylvia Rivera: The Trans Activist Who Co-Founded STAR
Sylvia Rivera was 17 when Stonewall lit up Christopher Street in 1969. She spent the next 33 years fighting for trans women, homeless queer kids, and the people...
Marsha P. Johnson: The Activist Who Helped Spark Pride
Marsha P. Johnson was at Stonewall, founded STAR with Sylvia Rivera, and gave her life to the queer movement. Here is who she really was, the myths people...
Why Is Pride Month in June? The Stonewall Riots Explained
Why Pride Month happens in June, from Stonewall in 1969 to the first anniversary march, plus practical ways to make welcome real.
Harvey Milk Day 2026: How to Honor His Legacy on May 22
Harvey Milk Day 2026 falls on Friday, May 22. Here is the short version of who Harvey was, why his birthday became a California state holiday, and 6...
IDAHOBIT 2026: International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia & Transphobia (May 17)
May 17 is IDAHOBIT, the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia. The 2026 guide covers the history, why the day still matters, and a short list of...
Intersex-Inclusive Progress Pride Flag: Meaning and History
Valentino Vecchietti added a purple circle inside a yellow triangle to the Progress Pride Flag in 2021. The small update finally put intersex people on the cloth. Here...
Lesbian Visibility Week 2026: How to Celebrate and Show Real Support
Lesbian Visibility Week 2026 runs April 20 to 26, with Lesbian Visibility Day on Sunday the 26th. Here is the history behind the week, seven concrete ways to...
The Ally Flag: Meaning, History, and How to Show Real LGBTQ+ Support
The ally flag mixes black and white stripes with a rainbow A to signal solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community. Here's where it came from, what the design means,...
The Philadelphia Pride Flag: Why Black and Brown Stripes Were Added
The Philadelphia pride flag added black and brown stripes to the rainbow in 2017. Here is the story behind the design, what every stripe means, and why it...
The Demisexual Pride Flag: Meaning, History, and How to Show Support
The demisexual pride flag represents an identity where sexual attraction only happens after a real emotional bond forms. Here's what each color means, how the flag came to...
The Genderfluid Pride Flag: Meaning, History, and How to Show Support
The genderfluid pride flag uses five colors to represent a gender identity that moves and changes. Here is what each stripe stands for, who designed it, and how...
How to Use They/Them Pronouns: A Guide for Allies, Friends, and Family
They/them pronouns are easier than they look, and getting them right is one of the simplest ways to show respect. Here is how to use them, share yours,...
The Gay Pride Flag: Meaning, History, and How to Show Support
The gay pride flag gives gay and bisexual men their own symbol within the LGBTQ+ community. Learn what the colors mean, how the flag was created, and ways...