55 years ago, marches were held in four U.S. cities – New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and San Francisco. 

These marches were held one year after the Stonewall riots, and in many ways, could be considered the very first Pride parades. 

The Stonewall riots of 1969 were a watershed moment for the gay rights movement, which later evolved to include members of other persecuted sexual minorities and became the 2SLGBTQ+ community. 

And now, every June, we mark Pride Month. 

But 55 years into what we might call the Pride movement, we have to ask the question….are the gains that have been made in those 55 years bring stripped away by renewed levels of homophobia and transphobia? 

On this episode of the 519 Podcast, we take a look at Pride, how far we’ve come, and how far we still need to go, as we talk to Pride leaders, and victims of homophobic crimes.