Proud

The month of June is a celebration, a beautiful month full of courage, authenticity, and pride. This month gives an opportunity for us to be ourselves, find community, and even come out. With all the love and joy being shared, it’s easy to forget the reason we celebrate the month of June. June 29th, 1969 marks the date of one of the most important days in LGBTQ+ history in the US, the Stonewall Riots. This was not the first protest for LGBTQ+ rights, but it was the most influential and sparked a five-day-long demonstration taking up most of Christopher Street in Greenwich Village, NYC, and is the reason we hold pride during June to this day. 

The rainbow bricks on this strap represent the overarching question that went on to follow this historic event, “Who threw the first brick?” The brick is a memento of the Stonewall Riots, one to remind us of how far we’ve come and of where it all started. To me, this strap represents courage, independence, and self-confidence, and is the embodiment of Pride!

You can find more about the ins and outs of 1969 in our blog post, Pride: Riots Turned Parade.

-Hugs, Bella (She/Her)
Artist

Nick Kearney, Chelsea Tolin