Summertime’s a great time to come out and show your true colors, and nobody’s more game to get in on the party than those who count themselves in as members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender crowd. In countless cities and towns across the nation, GLBT pride parades and rallies fill the streets and the city parks with a spirit of celebration, camaraderie, revelry, and purpose. Rainbow flags fly high and proud, and the out-of-the-closet fashion statements are nothing short of fabulous.

But how did all this get started? Who decided that June would be Gay Pride Month, and that the rainbow flag would become the community’s symbol of solidarity? When did it evolve from Gay Pride to GLBT Pride, and why? While contemporary Pride events now sport an air of celebration, their origins stem from darker times.

On June 27, 1969, a pivotal moment in gay history occurred at the Stonewall Inn, a popular gay bar in New York City’s Greenwich Village. While purporting to enforce a rarely invoked alcohol control law, police raided the Inn, forcing patrons out into the streets, harassing and arresting several. But for many in New York’s gay community, this incident was the last straw. As police raids on gay establishments had been increasing, so too had the anger and frustration felt by the gay community. On the night of June 27th, the pot boiled over and violence erupted. The ensuing riot and demonstrations became known as the Stonewall Rebellion, and marked the beginning of a unified movement among gays and lesbians to organize in defense of their civil rights.

In subsequent years, the Stonewall Rebellion was commemorated each June in New York and Los Angeles with rallies and gatherings. But the spirit of revolution and liberation would not be confined to the two coasts for long. Gay Pride events began springing up in cities and towns all across the country. In addition to functioning as forums for political organizing and community building, these gatherings evolved into all-out bashes, complete with parades, music, comedians, speakers, souvenirs, and a once-a-year permission slip allowing gay and lesbian citizens to walk down the streets of their town being openly and flagrantly their true selves.

Ubiquitous at any Pride event is the brightly colored Rainbow Flag. Conceived in 1978 for the San Francisco Gay and Lesbian Freedom Day Parade, the flag’s design was influenced by symbolism from both the hippie movement and the black civil rights movement. Designer Gilbert Baker wished to create a flag that stood for diversity, unity and celebration. The rainbow flag remains a powerful and empowering symbol to the GLBT community to this day.

During the 1990’s, as the concept of ‘political correctness’ was sweeping the land, gay and lesbian organizers were forced to examine the fact that a political/social movement specifically addressing the concerns of homosexuals may be inadvertently and inappropriately excluding members of other sexuality or gender minorities. The word ‘gay’ as the organizing principle for Pride events slowly morphed to GLBT (gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender). This inclusive mouthful endures as the ‘correct’ term for the not-strictly-straight population.

As our culture continues to move forward with accepting the fact that not everybody is born heterosexual (and that’s okay), GLBT pride events continue to celebrate the core principles of diversity and civil liberties that this country was founded on.

All that—plus a great excuse for a party!