Green America Celebrates Pride Month

Happy person with rainbow makeup wearing a trans flag as a cape in a parade of rainbow flags.

Photo from a pride parade in Portland, Oregon, in 2017. Photo by Png Studios

In 2025, Pride Month is more important than ever. Five years ago, legislators introduced just over 100 bills targeting LGBTQ+ people. In 2025, activists are tracking over 900, a majority of them aimed at the transgender community. LGBTQ+ rights and safety are facing major setbacks, both in the United States and abroad.

LGBTQ+ people have always existed, but in the US, those identities were not just unaccepted but criminalized throughout history. The Immigration Act of 1917 prohibited LGBTQ immigrants, classifying them as “persons of constitutional psychopathic inferiority.” This remained in place in the 1952 Immigration Act. One year later in 1953, an Executive Order included “sexual perversion” for the first time as a basis to fire someone from federal employment.

There was a turning point in June 1969, when patrons, led by transgender women of color, at the New York City gay bar The Stonewall Inn fought back when police attacked them during a routine raid of gay bars. Protests where activists demanded the right to live openly popped up in New York and around the country. In June 1970, the one-year anniversary of Stonewall, pride marches took place for the first time in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco.

LGBTQ+ rights came to the forefront but still faced objections. The 1986 Supreme Court case Bowers v. Hardwick upheld a ban on consensual, homosexual sex acts, and it was only in 1990 that homosexuality was removed as grounds for exclusion from immigration to the US. The Clinton Administration allowed LGBTQ+ people in the military but discriminatorily made them remain closeted. There have been some successes since then. In 2015, the Supreme Court declared same-sex marriage legal in all 50 states and Stonewall was named a national monument in 2016—two victories that are under attack once again.

We must remember, though, that Pride Month is also a time for joy and celebration. The LGBTQ+ community has continually met resistance with resilience and those who are members of the community, and the allies who love them, deserve to take pride in who they are. The state of the world may only get harder for LGBTQ+ people in the coming years, so it is vital we continue to fight, protect, and uplift everyone in the community. Transgender people disproportionately are targets for discrimination, bullying, hate speech, violence, and legislation that strips them of their rights. Over 1.6 million people aged 13+ in the US identify as transgender - they are our brothers, sisters, neighbors, friends, teachers, colleagues, and beyond - and they deserve to live in a safe, loving, and just world.

As with all heritage months, we celebrate our differences, acknowledge historical victories and setbacks, and fight for justice for people who may be of different backgrounds than oneself. This month brings us together to remember, honor, and be inspired by LGBTQ+ pride and history as well as the countless individuals of those backgrounds who have made tremendous contributions to our country. 

To help enhance your celebration with content you can use all year long, Green America is pleased to share Pride resources that highlight accomplishments, and the justice still needed in society, the economy, and the environment. We do this as a reflection of our vision: “to work for a world where all people have enough, where all communities are healthy and safe, and where the abundance of the Earth is preserved for all the generations to come.” 

Green America Celebrates Pride Month

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