“What Pride means to me is very simply the celebration of openly living life as who you are.” - Hall F.  Willkie, President, Brown Harris Stevens NYC 

Pride Month is underway, and with it comes a host of parties, parades, and more. But especially now, the meaning of Pride and its historic origins are paramount for contextualizing what the month truly sigifies for the LGBTQ+ community. At Brown Harris Stevens, we are year-round supporters of Pride in the workplace and beyond, which is why we’ve put together this timeline of its history, complete with quotes and reflections from our BHS Agents and Staff.

1969: Stonewall Uprising

In the early hours of June 28, 1969, a police raid in Greenwich Village at the Stonewall Inn, a popular gay bar in New York City, became the catalyst for the revolutionary LGBTQ+ rights movement. Although unjust raids were a common occurrence at the time, the raid on Stonewall was met with historic pushback from the patrons, making a clear statement against targeted injustice.

“[Pride is] knowing that my friends and colleagues who happen to be gay or trans have the same rights and privileges that I enjoy. We are all equal, no matter who we love!” - Sandy Wilson

1970: The First Pride Parades

Just one year after the Stonewall Uprising, the first collection of Pride marches gathered to commemorate Stonewall across major U.S. cities, in New York City, Chicago, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. In the year that followed, Pride parades popped up in major cities across the world and continue today, including in Greenwich Village, where it all began. 

I’ve been involved with LGBTQIA+ civil rights for many years, helping to win equality and justice for LGBTQIA+ New Yorkers. I was a board member of the Empire State Pride Agenda for 10 years and participated as the Co-Chair. The Empire State Pride Agenda (ESPA) was a statewide political advocacy organization in New York that advocated for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights, including the Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination Act (SONDA) and the Marriage Equality Act. SONDA passed in 2002, but it was a 30-year process. It was a big effort on the part of many activists over the years. - Kim Kakerbeck, Brown Harris Stevens Agent

1978: The Birth of the Pride Flag

Before attending the San Francisco PridePparade in 1978, artist Gilbert Baker created the iconic symbol of Gay Pride, with colorful strips of dyed fabric stitched together that soon became the instantly recognizable rainbow flag.

“It means that I can be myself, live my life authentically, and be treated as an equal in society and be accepted by all!” - Mark D. Friedman 

2015: Same-Sex Marriage is Legalized

With the Supreme Court ruling in the case of Obergefell v. Hodges, same-sex couples in the U.S. were given the right to marry. Of this monumental moment, then-president Barack Obama stated that, “As Americans, we respect human dignity. That’s why we defend free speech, and advocate for political prisoners, and condemn the persecution of women, or religious minorities, or people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.”

“[Pride means] acceptance, freedom and pride for being your authentic self without hesitation, doubt, or anything to prove. Celebrating and basking in your very own unique light whatever that brilliance may be.” - RoseAnn Hermann

2020: LGBTQ+ Employees Are Protected From Workplace Discrimination

In a historic ruling that was delivered during Pride month 2020, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of ensuring that all employees of the LGBTQ+ community are protected from discrimination in the workplace under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

“I spent the bulk of my working life in NYC in the financial services industry ... I was one of 11 employees who fought for and won the right for the first Domestic Partner Benefits Program in financial services ... This initiative led to the creation of the Rainbow Group, which was was established to educate all employees on the benefits of diversity as well as employees at other financial services institutions (banks and non-banks) on how to do the same ...  I am proud to have played a small part in the fight for equality. Today, I'm raising 2 boys. One of whom is gay ... He's a confident and accomplished young man who’s heading to university this fall. ”  - Dennis Gallagher, Brown Harris Stevens Agent 

While there is still much work to do, let us take this time to celebrate the achievements of the LGBTQ+ civil rights movement and continue to fight for equality for future generations. 

A Year-Round Commitment

As enjoyable as Pride Month events are, we at Brown Harris Stevens believe in celebrating and advocating for LGBTQIA+ people year-round. We also believe everyone deserves equal protection under the law, regardless of who they love. For this reason, we are proud to be a member of the Human Rights Campaign’s Business Coalition for the Equality Act, a group of 300+ leading U.S. employers supporting bipartisan legislation to provide the same protections to LGBTQIA+ people as are provided to other protected groups under federal law.

To learn more, visit https://www.bhsusa.com/pride.