For the first time since the pandemic hit and barred in-person gatherings, people across the United States are turning out to celebrate Pride Month.
Why it matters: The annual Pride Month honors the 1969 Stonewall Uprising, which is credited with galvanizing the modern gay rights movement. It's a time of celebration of the LGBTQ community, and a recognition that the fight for equality continues.
- The past year has seen a slew of GOP-led legislation targeting trans people, as well as higher risks of mental health issues, homelessness and lost income among LGBTQ Americans due to the pandemic.
- "Our lives are worth protecting," trans actress and activist Laverne Cox told JuJu Chang on ABC News' Pride Month special. "Our humanity is worth protecting."
In photos
Two people kiss during the Brooklyn Liberation: An action for Trans Youth March in Fort Greene Park on June 13 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Photo: Alexi Rosenfeld via Getty Images
An attendee gets emotional and cries during the Brooklyn Liberation: An action for Trans Youth March in Fort Greene Park on June 13 in Brooklyn, New York City. Photo: Alexi Rosenfeld via Getty Images
A protestor wearing "Black Trans Lives Matter" wings marches during the Brooklyn Liberation: An action for Trans Youth March on June 13 in Brooklyn, New York City. Photo: Alexi Rosenfeld via Getty Images
Members and allies of the LGBTQ community dance and celebrate at the end of the Pride Walk and Rally in Freedom Plaza on June 12 in Washington, D.C. Photo: Drew Angerer via Getty Images
Members and allies of the LGBTQ community dance and celebrate at the end of the Pride Walk and Rally in Freedom Plaza on June 12 in Washington, D.C. Photo: Drew Angerer via Getty Images
Neighborhood residents and friends gather on June 6, ahead of the first annual Woodmoor Pride parade in the Silver Spring neighborhood in Maryland. The neighborhood also marked the beginning of Pride Month by flying a Pride flag at the community's flagpole. Photo: Toni L. Sandys/The Washington Post via Getty Images
Landa Lakes and Bay Area American Indian Two Spirits give a Land Acknowledgment at Pride Movie Night at Oracle Park on June 11 in San Francisco. Photo: Miikka Skaffari via Getty Images