It's June of 1969 and you're in the Stonewall Inn. All of a sudden police barge through the door and start arresting people. Why? Well, the Stonewall Inn was a popular LGBTQ hangout, and in 1969, it was practically illegal to be gay. This may have had to do with religious beliefs or personal opinions, but either way, LGBTQ people had to hide their lives from the police. They were not accepted or respected as people in their communities.

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The police arrested anyone who was in the bar while people on the street stood by and watched. People were outraged at how they were treated, so only a few days later riots broke out. These rioters wanted equal rights and fair laws to let individuals be themselves. The riots lasted a little less than a week before slowing down. Even after that protests were held demanding equal rights. During the Eastern Regional Conference of Homophile Organizations, gay rights activists suggested the idea of marches, to both honor the Stonewall events and tell the world that they were people too. 

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After years of protesting and making their voices heard, in 2003 same-sex marriage was legalized in the United States. Just because it was legalized doesn't mean everyone agrees. It was still a struggle to be openly gay, but over the years more and more people have started opening up their views about this. To this day LGBTQ people host pride parades to show how they can be themselves and honor the events of June in 1969.  This is why June is also known as pride month and encourages acceptance and support for all people.