Pride

The month of June is designated as Pride month. The concept of Pride month was birthed to help honor those involved in the Stonewall riots during the week of June 28th – July 3rd in 1969. These riots were a direct response to the never-ending harassment and arrests of gay people as well as raids on gay owned or frequented establishments in lower Manhattan in New York City. The very first Pride event was one year after the riots as a peaceful march with no dress restrictions where people could express themselves and their sexuality freely. Today, Pride month is celebrated to remember those who fought hard for the rights of LGBTQ+ people as well as a time to express our true selves. It is a time to embrace each other with love and be surrounded by our friends, family (chosen or not), partners, and allies in our community. A time to take “PRIDE” in being who we are and a time to decrease stigma through education and advocacy. Also, let’s not get it twisted, it is a time to have a good time with parades, parties, and freedom!

Pride is fun. Pride is our culture. Pride is a feeling of accomplishment. We want to help keep it fun and add some education and safety to the mix. Chaffee County Pride is June 2-4. On Saturday June 3rd Chaffee County Public Health will be in the Pride village in Riverside Park from 10am-2pm offering free Sexually Transmitted Infection testing, condoms, lubricants, and other harm reduction supplies. One of the most important aspects of the work we do at Public Health is removing barriers and decreasing stigma. We are all members of our community; we all deserve respect and access to care. Let’s celebrate our LGBTQ+ community, not just in June but all year round!