The Month of June is dedicated to celebrating the LGBTQ+ community, better known as Pride Month. 
Throughout history, the LGBTQ+ Movement has and continues to make milestones and landmarks for equal rights. Below we share some of those milestones in American History, in honor of Pride month to help educate our community and support our LGBTQ+ employees, residents, and families.
June is Pride Month, when the world’s LGBT communities come together and celebrate the freedom to be themselves. Pride gatherings are rooted in the arduous history of minority groups who have struggled for decades to overcome prejudice and be accepted for who they are.
History of Pride Movement:
In 1969, Police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in Manhattan, causing a 6-day protest between LGBTQ+ protesters and the police. The police raided the bar early in the morning and detained and interrogated employees and customers. The very first Pride celebration happened a year later on the anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising.
In December of 1973, the Board of American Psychiatric Association voted to remove homosexuality from their lists of mental illness and in 1980, The Democratic Party becomes the first political party to endorse LGBTQ+ rights platform.
In the Eary 80s, GRID (Gay Related Immune Deficiency Disorder) is discovered, later the name is changed to AIDS after symptoms are found outside of the LGBTQ+ community.
In 1987, LGBTQ+ advocates protest outside the Whitehouse for President Ronald Reagan to address the AIDS crisis. In 1988, the World Health Organizations (WHO) recognizes World AIDS Day to raise awareness. In 1988, the CDC sent out over 100 million brochures to help people understand AIDS to American households.
Besides the AIDS crisis, the 80s contained other landmark news for the LGBTQ+ community, such as Wisconsin becoming the first state to outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation.
In 2000, Vermont is the first state to allow legal civil unions between same sex couples. In 2004. Massachusetts becomes the first state to officially legalize gay marriage. 2010 becomes notable as the US Senate repeals the “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy, allowing openly gay and lesbian military members to serve.
In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court votes 5-4, legalizing same sex marriage across the country.
Supporting our LBGTQ+ Elders
One population that has a unique set of challenges within the LGBTQ+ community is LGBTQ+ elders. Here at McGregor, we uphold our mission of “supporting seniors in need and those who serve them”. Whether you are a caregiver of an LGBTQ+ Elder or an elder yourself, we send support to you where you need it most.
Looking for more resources? Visit one of our grant’s recipients, LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland, for more resources and information.
https://lgbtcleveland.org/programs/sage-cleveland/
The McGregor Foundation works closely with Ursuline Piassa, one of it’s grantees, and Sister Susan Zion, Founder and Executive Director, to provide programming for Seniors living with HIV.
Article submission: Bridget Noonan, Marketing and Communications Intern