Pride Month has been celebrated throughout our nation during June since 1979. The reason this month was selected for this special recognition is due to the events at the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village, in lower Manhattan, on June 28, 1969. This one difficult night, not unlike many others, initiated a transformation in the lives of countless LGBTQ+ people and enlarged all Americans’ understanding of our shared humanity.
The Significance of Stonewall, June 28, 1969
What occurred on June 28, 1969 at the Stonewall Inn in New York City, became a significant galvanizing event in the gay rights movement, that changed the course of history. At approximately 1:20 a.m., the Police Department’s Public Morals Squad conducted a raid on the Stonewall Inn. Stonewall was a gay bar on Christopher Street in Greenwich Village, not unlike many other similar places in the Village. The interior of the first floor was dark with a long bar, tables and seating booths, a jukebox and a dancing floor. There was a second dance floor and performance area upstairs. While well-known to the gay community in the 60s, Stonewall operated in secrecy because it was illegal to be gay in public at that time. Alcohol was also regularly served though the owners of the Stonewall lacked a valid liquor license. Police would routinely raid gay bars and arrest people for public displays of homosexuality. Normally, these raids took place in the early evenings when there were fewer customers. There were often arrests of a few individuals who filed into patrol cars in an orderly fashion. On this occasion, however, the raid on Stonewall occurred well after midnight, when a much larger and more assertive group of customers was present. Perhaps it was the late hour, after drinking and partying, or more likely, the cumulative effect of years of incessant harassment, frequent raids and arrests, and years of repression that pushed the patrons to the breaking point. This time, the patrons resisted and fought back. Crowds gathered outside the Inn. Chaos and violence erupted on the street and protests morphed into riots that continued until July 3rd.
Although the protests at Stonewall were not the first of their kind in the LGBTQ+ community, they are now deemed the turning point that launched a far more public and extensive gay rights movement. This more recent iteration would lead to the creation of many legal, social and civic organizations that continue to the present day fighting for civil and equal rights in housing, employment, marriage and parenting for those in the gay community. Through numerous successful court battles, LGBTQ+ citizens have won basic inalienable rights that had long been denied outright or heavily restricted. There is now also a focus on educational and mental health resources, supportive social services, and suicide prevention, especially among gay and trans youth. In addition, there have been basic efforts to educate the public on our shared humanity and our human need for acceptance and community. Attaining the most basic rights to which all persons are entitled but which had been long denied to those in the LGBTQ+ community can be attributed to the activism galvanized by the Stonewall riots.
Stonewall Today
Today, the two buildings at 51 and 53 Christopher Street that housed the 1969 Stonewall Inn remain but they have undergone many transformations in the intervening years. After the riots, the buildings were sold or leased to a variety of businesses including a bagel shop, a nail salon, a Chinese restaurant, and a men’s clothing store. While 53 Christoper Street remains a bar today, it has been modernized and its owners are committed to preserving the important history of the gay rights movement. In addition to being a local bar with trivia competitions and karaoke nights, it hosts local music artists, drag shows, wedding receptions and parties.
In 2024, 51 Christopher Street opened as the Stonewall National Monument’s visitor center with educational exhibits, interactive displays, historic artifacts and meeting spaces for lectures, community meetings and rallies. It includes a “content story wall” about people involved in the riot, artwork, and information about the history of the building and the riots. On the first anniversary of the Stonewall riots, in 1970, the local community celebrated the Christopher Street Liberation Day. Similar events and marches were held throughout the country, becoming the first Gay Pride celebration in U.S. history.
Pride Month parades often pass the Stonewall Inn in recognition of the historic significance of this place and to celebrate the courage of those who had long been forced to hide their true natures in a dark place for far too long. On that day in June, in 1969, they chose to proudly and publicly become themselves. What was once a gritty, illicit neighborhood bar has evolved into a renowned historic landmark and protected national monument. But more significantly, the Stonewall will always also be a lasting testament and tribute to the resilience, activism and enduring hope of a brave community.
Resources:
Carter, David. Stonewall: The Riots that Sparked the Gat Revolution. New York: St. Marin’s Press, 2004.
Duberman, Martin. Stonewall. New York: Plume, 1994.
Faderman, Lillian. The Gay Revolution: The Story of the Struggle. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2015.
Marcus, Eric. Making Gay History: The Half Century Fight for Lesbian and Gay Equal Rights. New York: Harper, 2002.
The New York Public Library, ed. The Stonewall Reader. Edited and introduced by Jason Baumann. Forward by Edmund White. New York: Penguin Classics, 2019.
This year, The Episcopal Church will celebrate its 50th anniversary of affirming that LGBTQ+ people have a full and equal claim to the love, acceptance and pastoral care of the Church. In his pastoral letter recognizing Pride Month in 2025, Bishop Rowe reaffirmed the Church’s commitment to equality for all and gave thanks for the opportunity to join with all Episcopalians “in celebrating the beauty, strength, and sacred worth of the LGBTQ+ people in our church and beyond… For fifty years, faithful Episcopalians from all walks of life have worked and prayed to make the promise [of equality] a reality. While the journey is not yet over, Pride gives us an opportunity to remember the struggles, celebrate the joy, and give thanks for the love that binds us together and makes us one.
On the Church’s main web site, under the listing of “Ministries – Gender Justice,” one can find detailed information about the history of the Church’s commitment to welcoming all in the LGBTQ+ community and advocating for equality and social justice for all God’s children.
For decades, LGBTQ+ Episcopalians and allies have worked to make The Episcopal Church a place of belonging and inclusion. We have prayed, studied, and discerned, and in doing so, we have seen the evidence of God’s blessing in the lives and love of our LGBTQ+ siblings in Christ
Today in The Episcopal Church, discernment for the ministries of bishop, priest, deacon, and lay leadership is open to all without discrimination. We celebrate and give thanks for the beauty, strength, and sacred worth of LGBTQ+ leaders across all contexts and callings.
This site (https://www.episcopalchurch.org) also includes General Convention Resolutions and Executive Council actions. There are also liturgical resource pages and links to educational programs offered by the Church and to secular and religious organizations that provide services for the LGBTQ+ community.
As Bishop Rowe reminded us in his 2025 address, “Especially this year, Pride provides an opportunity to stand against injustice and fear by proclaiming that LGBTQ+ people are beloved children of God and cherished members of the Episcopal Church and the Body of Christ.” This message has undoubtedly become even more urgent this year as so many of the rights of all Americans have been eroded and the place of the marginalized in our society continues to be seriously threatened.
Juneteenth
Juneteenth commemorates the day federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865, and announced that slaves in Texas were freed. This was 2 1/2 years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. Although, the Emancipation Proclamation issued by President Lincoln on January 1, 1863, had “established that all enslaved people in States still in rebellion against the Union shall be then, thenceforward and forever be free,” in reality, slavery had continued in Texas. Juneteenth today, celebrates Black peoples’ freedom, their striving, achievements, and continuous self-development and is an opportunity for people of all cultures to come together and celebrate freedom as Americans. On January 1, 1980, Juneteenth became an official holiday in Texas, and since that time, while a growing number of state and local governments throughout the United States have officially recognized and celebrated Juneteenth in a variety of ways, it has not yet been designated a national holiday. Juneteenth is also known as the “oldest nationally celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the U. S” and is celebrated every year on June 19th. (Juneteenth@Juneteenth@com; Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc)
As in past years, many local communities in the south Jersey area and in Philadelphia are once again planning Juneteenth celebrations. Moorestown’s festivities will be on June 20 from 4 – 7 pm at Perkins Art Center. Cherry Hill will hold a parade and other festivities on June 21 st. The Philadelphia Juneteenth Parade and Festival will begin early, at 12:30 in West Philadelphia at the Highmark Mann Center and end at Malcolm X Park and is only one of several events planned in Philadelphia for the day. For information about other celebrations in our area, please check individual Township and municipal websites.
Prayers for Pride
During June, the members of the God’s Diversity Committee invited you to join us in celebrating Pride Month and honoring the courage and perseverance of the LGBTQ+ community. Please join us in prayer for LGBTQ+ Americans and in asking God’s help to live as true Christians, always loving all our neighbors and especially supporting those who have been marginalized and oppressed.
O God, you made us in your own image and redeemed us through Jesus your Son: Look with compassion on the whole human family; take away the arrogance and hatred which infect our hearts; break down the walls that separate us; unite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth; that, in your good time, all nations and races may serve you in harmony around your heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
–Book of Common Prayer, p. 815.