Fifty Years of Pride
June 28th marks the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, a flashpoint in Gay Rights activism that took place in Greenwich Village, New York City. What happened in the early hours of June 28th at the Stonewall Inn and the days that followed were by no means a stand-alone event - but rather the culmination of years of efforts by an LGBTQ community seeking equality in the 1950’s and 60’s and inspiration for generations to come.
“The events at Stonewall inspired a new generation of LGBTQ people to become involved in politics personally and passionately, transforming the United States and the world. In many of the popular narratives of Stonewall this is what gets left out. We are given Stonewall as the start of LGBTQ politics and then Marriage Equality as its end, leaving out the decades of grassroots political activism that made these transformations possible, as well as the many struggles that continue today — and the work that may be further inspired by the memories of Stonewall, as preserved in LGBTQ archives and the birth of the Gay Pride movement around the world.” 50 Years After Stonewall... (Time Magazine, April 30, 2019)
The History of Stonewall – Fifty Years Later
The Stonewall Riots were the spark that lit the flame of the fight for LGBTQ rights in America and around the world. Read on for links to great writing on the importance of Stonewall and different efforts to preserve, digitize and share the history of this world-changing event.
- Google Arts & Culture has compiled a treasure trove of photos and documents linked to the Stonewall riots in an effort to preserve the stories of the people behind the events. You can find these amazing archives here.
- The Stonewall Forever project is also working to archive and digitize the stories of the Stonewall Riots. You can see their collection here.
The site of the Stonewall riots and the surrounding area was named a national monument in 2016 by President Barack Obama, in recognition of the area’s contribution to gay and human rights.
Democrats Abroad France and the LGBTQ+ community
Democrats Abroad France is proud to participate in the Pride Parades (Les Marches des Fiértés) that take place across France each year. This year's Pride Parade in Paris is June 29th. Please join us! For event information and to RSVP, go to our event announcement.
LGBT Caucus
Democrats Abroad is committed to a world where all persons have access to the same rights and benefits, regardless of sexual identity or gender expression. The Democrats Abroad LGBT Caucus is the constituency group for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex members and any Democrat abroad who supports them.
The goals of the LGBT Caucus reflect the mission of Democrats Abroad to:
- engage and empower LGBTI Americans living abroad to vote in US elections;
- provide a platform for Democrats Abroad members, country committees and chapters to advance issues at the heart of the LGBTI community;
- support Democrats Abroad’s members in issues they face living abroad as LGBTI Americans, such as access to government services and benefits for same-sex spouses and family members, the legacy resulting from past discrimination and Defense of Marriage Act.
We encourage all who are interested to join the Global LGBT Caucus.
We also would like to have a dynamic LGBT Caucus to serve our DA France members more locally. MEMBERS, VOLUNTEERS and ORGANIZERS for the DAF LGBT Caucus are needed! If interested in helping out with the Caucus, please email [email protected]. Allies welcome!