LGBTQ+ Pride month kicks off with protests, parades, parties

By DEEPTI HAJELA
Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — The start of June marks the beginning of Pride month around the United States and some parts of the world, a season intended to celebrate the lives and experiences of LGBTQ+ people and to protest against the rollback of hard-won civil rights gains. The events take place in June in time with the 1969 uprising at New York City’s Stonewall Inn, a catalyst for global LGBTQ+ movements. This year’s Pride takes place in a contentious political climate where legislative action coming out of many statehouses has banned drag shows and access to gender-affirming care.