The first gay film is said to have been released in 1919. The German silent film Anders als die Anderen tells the story of two men who fall in love.
On June 28, 1969, police raided the Stonewall Inn in New York City — a local gay and lesbian bar. At the time, it was common for police to arrest patrons for cross-dressing or simply for being in a gay bar.
But that night, we fought back — changing the trajectory of our destiny and illustrating the power of our unified voice.
In 2015, our LGBTQ+ community received a landmark victory with the Supreme Court’s decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, which made same-sex marriage legal in all 50 states.
The Respect for Marriage Act, signed into law by President Joe Biden in 2022, further cemented this right by repealing the Defense of Marriage Act, which had defined marriage only as a union between one man and one woman.
In 2025, my partner and I, along with a group of friends, traveled to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, during their Pride celebration. It was nothing short of fabulously welcoming — even for a man of a certain age, from a less-than-popular certain country.
One way to view Pride is as a celebration of our achievements, our self-worth, and our possibilities. It’s more than a party. It’s a good faith expression in which we say — to ourselves and to others — I see you.
The freedom to love who we love, and to gain the same legal rights as everyone else, is our achievement. So is our growing acceptance in mainstream culture — although we still face those who would eagerly strip us of our rights.
Since Stonewall, our self-worth and self-compassion have grown. That’s a powerful shift. Because with every person whose self-worth we uplift, we help build healthier, happier lives — sometimes even saving lives.
Pride means different things to different people, but for me, it’s also a catalyst for opportunity.
The opportunity to feel free in our own bodies.
The opportunity to express our creativity.
The opportunity to serve humanity in the ways we’re called to — whether that’s a life of service in the military, delivering mail, or being the doctor who prescribes a healing medication or performs life-saving surgery.
The point is: in loving our Pride celebrations, we are learning to love ourselves. And that’s a beautiful picture.
Stand up. Speak up. Not just for our own community, but for all marginalized people.
Truth is, love is the strongest power we have and like flowers on a vine we are all destined to create something beautiful.
We’re not going back.
