Uplifting parades, joyous festivals, workshops, and memorials are among the principal components of Pride Month, an annual LGBTQ+ celebration in June.
Why Pride Month is Important
Pride is an entire month dedicated to the uplifting of LGBTQ+ voices. The initiative aims to bring awareness to ongoing issues, commemorate members of the community whom we lost to hate crimes or HIV/AIDS, celebrate culture, and provide support of LGBTQ+ rights. Pride Month represents how far LGBTQ+ members have come in being able to express themselves openly and be accepted by the community as a whole.
“Flag From the Sky”
The rainbow flag has become an internationally recognized symbol of the LGBTQ+ community and was first created and flown at the San Francisco Gay Freedom Day Parade in 1978. Harvey Milk, the first openly gay elected official in California, asked designer Gilbert Baker to design an ‘all-encompassing symbol’ for the LGBTQ+ community. Baker designed a flag that would represent diversity, assigning each of the colors of the stripes a symbolic meaning. Baker saw the rainbow as a natural flag from the sky, so he adopted eight colors for the stripes; the flag has since been amended to the six-color version that is used now:
- Red = Life
- Orange = Healing
- Yellow = Sunlight
- Green = Nature
- Blue = Harmony
- Violet = Spirit
Offer Your Support
If you want to get involved during Pride Month, consider volunteering at a local organization that supports LGBTQ+ youth. CSI Companies is a proud supporter of JASMYN, a local Jacksonville organization that empowers LGBTQ+ young people by creating safe spaces and offering development opportunities. CSI is hosting an internal pickleball tournament on Pride Day (June 28th), and proceeds will be donated to JASMYN.
Lindsey Stirling once said, “Sometimes, being different feels a lot like being alone.” Providing your support during Pride Month is an easy way to show members of the community that they are not alone.