As this month comes to a close, I’ve been thinking a lot about my LGBTQ+ brothers and sisters. I’m proud of how we’ve rallied together and helped enact and witness positive change. Raising awareness for LGBTQ+ rights within the military and throughout society continues to be a journey, but we’re taking good steps in the right direction.

Remembering the past

In June 1969, The Stonewall Inn (a popular gay bar in Greenwich Village, New York) was first targeted by police in a string of harassing attacks. As escalations between bar-goers and police grew, raids increased and reached a tipping point on June 28th, when patrons of The Stonewall fought back.  

The uprising marked the beginning of a movement that continued to grow. Across the country, several gay rights groups were born and flourished in the following years, particularly in San Francisco. With heavy involvement in the community, a growing West Coast group developed a strong voting bloc–giving them a fair amount of political cache and notoriety.

A gay Army vet, Gilbert Baker, was drawn to this area and became involved in the moment. In fact, the first gay Pride rainbow flag was created by Baker and carried in the 1978 Gay Freedom Day Parade. With roughly 375,000 supporters, it was the largest single demonstration for any cause since the Vietnam anti-war protests. The symbolic flag remains a galvanizing and iconic representation of gay pride–and a celebration of all people, across so many spectrums.  

A promising path forward

Today the momentum to outlaw discriminatory laws and practices against LGBTQ+ civilians and service members continues to build. The Stonewall uprising and the Gay Pride movement created some in the U.S. government took up the torch and became advocates. Reaching the White House In 1999, former President Bill Clinton first designated June as Gay & Lesbian Pride Month. Former President Obama did the same each year he was president, and later designated The Stonewall Inn and nearby Christopher Park as The Stonewall National Monument.

Less than a dozen years later, in September 2011, the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy was repealed. This landmark shift allowed LGBTQ+ service members and civilians to acknowledge their sexual orientation and serve in the U.S. military as their true selves.

The tradition of celebrating LGBTQ+ pride continues today, with Biden also commemorating the month of June as Pride Month. “We reflect on the progress we have made as a Nation in the fight for justice, inclusion, and equality while reaffirming our commitment to do more to support LGBTQI+ rights at home and abroad,” President Biden shared in a White House press announcement earlier this month, Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen H. Hicks, who spoke at the 11th LBGTQ+ Pride Ceremony at the Pentagon, shared, “Pride Month is a time to remind the LGBTQ+ community that they are valued and deserve dignity, respect, and support.” She added that the Defense Department strives to lead on issues related to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility—including for LGBTQ+ people.

I hope you too are celebrating this month. Let’s carry the parades, pride, and good work forward—beyond June 30 and into the months and years ahead.

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