The History and Significance of Pride Month
Pride Month is celebrated every June to honour the achievements of the LGBTQ+ community and to show support for their ongoing struggle for equality. The origins of Pride Month can be traced back to the Stonewall Riots of 1969, when patrons of a gay bar in New York City resisted a police raid. This event sparked a wave of activism that eventually led to the first Pride event in the UK on July 1, 1972.
The Stonewall Riots were a turning point in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights. On that night, eight police officers from the New York “Public Morals Division” raided the Stonewall Inn— a gay bar in Greenwich Village, New York City. In the sixties, the NYPD unit enforced all “vice” laws and had the power to arrest and hospitalize gay people by force. But on this night, the bar fought back. Neighbouring revellers were drawn to the scene, hundreds resisted prejudiced arrest, and a mirror was smashed by “the shot glass that was heard around the world”, thrown by Black transgender activist Marsha P. Johnson. As the eight police officers barricaded themselves inside the Stonewall Inn, protesters took control of the street: that night, and the five that followed.
While Stonewall did not create a movement—LGBTQ+ activism had taken an organized shape in the 1920s if not before—it did empower throngs to join the campaign. On the first anniversary of the Stonewall riots, demonstrations stretched across the United States in a mix of politics and party that elevated a community whose existence had been denied, suppressed, and criminalized. Celebrations have reclaimed the historic influence of LGBTQ+ people across the world and paved the way for a more equal and diverse future.
The Meaning Behind the Colours: Understanding the Different Pride Flags
The Pride Flag is a symbol of the LGBTQ+ community and its colours represent the different communities within it. The most common version has six stripes with the following meanings: red for life, orange for healing, yellow for sunlight, green for nature, indigo for harmony, and violet for spirit.
Over the last few years, the Pride flag has been updated and changed to better include and represent more communities. One of these updated versions is the Progress Pride flag. It included black, brown, pink, pale blue and white stripes, to represent marginalized people of colour in the LGBTQ+ community, as well as the trans community and those living with HIV/AIDS.
The original Pride flag was created by American artist and gay rights activist Gilbert Baker and first displayed in 1978 to be a symbol for the LGBT community. The original design had eight stripes instead of the six normally seen now, and each of its colourful stripes had a meaning. Speaking about his design, Gilbert said: “We needed something beautiful… something from us.” Although it would have made him a lot of money, Gilbert refused to trademark his flag design, saying it was a symbol for everyone.
The flag design spread around the world and in the 1990s it became a symbol for those fighting for equal rights for the LGBT community. In 1994, a huge mile-long version of the flag streamed through the streets of New York to mark the 25-year anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall riots. Forty-three years later the Pride flag is still a widely used and recognized symbol of the LGBT community.
In 2017, Philadelphia’s Office of LGBT Affairs added black and brown stripes to the Pride flag to recognize people of colour. One year later, an artist called Daniel Quasar released a redesign of the Pride flag, called the Progress Pride flag, which was widely shared on social media. “The arrow points to the right to show forward movement while being along the left edge shows that progress still needs to be made,” explained Daniel Quasar. Some people within LGBTQ+ communities said that Gilbert Baker’s Pride flag didn’t need to be changed, arguing that it was originally designed to be representative of everyone.
The Progress Pride flag has been widely adopted by many organizations and individuals as a more inclusive symbol of LGBTQ+ pride. It serves as a reminder that there is still work to be done in achieving equality and acceptance for all members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Creative Ideas for Pride-Inspired Nail Art
Pride-inspired nail art is a great way to show your support for the LGBTQ+ community and celebrate Pride Month. There are many creative ideas for Pride-inspired nail art that you can try at home or at a professional nail salon.
One idea is to create a clean-cut rainbow design. For this simplistic look, first apply a clear base coat and then, using a nail art brush, draw on a thin arch using rainbow-colored nail polishes. Another idea is to create vertical stripes. This bolder nail art look is easier to recreate since all it involves is straight, vertical lines.
You can also try pastel tips or a Poppin’ rainbow design. For a more subtle look, try a vertical colour block or holographic colours. Slanted tips and glitter French Manis are also great options.
Professional nails can be expensive. If you only want nails for a fleeting time, you can do this at home. If you want your nails to last for a longer period you should get them professionally done by a qualified nail technician. We at Viet Nail Studio welcome the LGBT community and will design nails for our diverse and what we feel should be an inclusive community.
You can visit our website at vietnailstudio.com to book an appointment or view more of our informative posts at vietnailstudio.com/blog
Supporting LGBTQ-Owned Nail Salons and Artists
Supporting LGBTQ-owned nail salons and artists is a fantastic way to show your love and support for the LGBTQ+ community. Queer, genderless, and LGBTQ+ owned salons and barbershops play an essential role in the industry. They’re inclusive to all, fairly priced (i.e., gender-neutral services), and create open, affirming, and judgment-free spaces.
By choosing to support LGBTQ-owned nail salons and artists, you are helping to support the vibrant queer small business community. You can find LGBTQ-owned businesses by searching for them online or by using business directories such as QueerCos, which is a business directory of LGBTQ-owned businesses for locating and supporting LGBTQ-owned businesses close to home and nationwide.
Viet Nail Studio is proud to be a supporter of the LGBTQ-owned nail salons and artists. We welcome the LGBTQ+ community and will design nails for our diverse and inclusive community. You can visit our blog at vietnailstudio.com/blog for more content.
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