JUNE=GAY PRIDE

June is here and it marks GAY PRIDE. GAY PRIDE has its origins to a turbulent time in New York City in June of 1969.
On June 27, 1969, Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in Greenwich Village, while patrons were minding their own business and enjoying an evening out, the NY Beverage Board and NYC police officers raided the bar under the auspices of enforcing an alcohol control law. This was very much out of the ordinary, but raids on gay establishments was not.
However, this night was to be quite different. The people in the Stonewall fought back, literally. One would like to think the gays beat the shit out of the police and the battle ended. But, patrons were eventually rounded up and led away in paddy wagons. But, word spread quickly and crowds gathered for several nights, protesting the mistreatment that night on June 27th at the Stonewall Inn. This uprising signaled the modern political movement for gay rights. Thus, June commemerates GAY PRIDE.
Gays today still fight for their rights. As stated in the Declaration of Independence, gays only want our country to "hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
Pride celebrations will be held all over the world this June. Philly's GAY PRIDE celebration will be June 12, 2005. I encourage every gay man and woman, and anyone who supports equality for all citizens to attend the festivities.