Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) Pride Month is currently celebrated each year in the month of June to honour the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan. The Stonewall Uprising was a tipping point for the Gay Liberation Movement in the United States and this also changed the Gay Liberation Movement across the world.

In 1969 the Stonewall Inn was a popular gay bar in New York City and at the time it was illegal to serve alcohol to a gay person and homosexuality was considered a criminal offense. During the early hours of the morning police raided the bar and arrested several punters due to their sexuality and that they were cross dressing, as a result of the raid a protest started and continued for a week, this led to the first pride march being held on June 28th 1970. Although in the United States homosexuality was legalised in some states in 1962, it took until 2003 for Texas for decriminalise homosexual relations. And in 2009, President Barack Obama signed into law a new hate crime act. 

LGBTQ is celebrated in the UK in June, with the pride march in London being held on 29th June 2024

Within Equality and diversity, it is illegal to discriminate against individuals for the protected characteristics and this includes sexuality, if you feel that you have been discriminated against due to your sexuality at work or during your learning programme please speak to your trainer or the safeguarding team at Achieving Excellence.