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The current U.S. administration has withdrawn orders supporting health advancements for LGBTQ+ youth. 70,000 participants marched through the streets for the 29th edition of Brussels Pride, held under the theme 'Unite, time to protect our rights.'

BOB REIJNDERS, Middle East Images/AFP Via Getty Images

A woman wears a rainbow-colored mask and raises her fist during the pride parade in Brussels, Belgium, on May 17, 2025.

BOB REIJNDERS, Middle East Images/AFP Via Getty Images

A person wearing a crown and face paint walks in the parade in Brussels, Belgium, on May 17, 2025.

BOB REIJNDERS, Middle East Images/AFP Via Getty Images

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Celebrating Pride 2025

On June 28, 1969, Greenwich Village in New York City held its own in an uprising against one of the many police raids at the Stonewall Inn. Gay activists and their allies banded together in a monumental defiance that helped secure rights for the LGBTQ+ community in the years to come.

The body unbound.

Celebrate Pride Month With 15 Photos of LGBTQ Joy

These images from the Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest capture vibrant parades and festivals around the world

Since 1999, June has been formally designated as Pride Month in the United States, a time to remember the struggles of the LGBTQ community and celebrate the advances they’ve made throughout the years.

70,000 participants marched through the streets for the 29th edition of Brussels Pride, held under the theme 'Unite, time to protect our rights.'

BOB REIJNDERS, Middle East Images/AFP Via Getty Images

Trixie Towers peforms indoors during one of the Naples Pride Fest drag shows at the Norris Center in Naples, Fla., on Saturday, June 7, 2025.

Jonah Hinebaugh, Naples Daily News

Friends and neighbors celebrate Haddon Township, New Jersey's 5th Annual Pride Parade on June 5, 2025.

Kaitlyn McCormick, The Courier-Post Via USA TODAY Network

Pets walk in the Pet Parade during 2025 PrideFest on June 7, 2025, in Des Moines.

Lily Smith, The Register Via USA TODAY Network

Attendees dance at the main stage during the Naples Pride Fest at Cambier Park in Naples, Fla., on Saturday, June 7, 2025.

Jonah Hinebaugh, Naples Daily News

John Gerwe, 68, waves a pride flag during the Northern Kentucky Pride Parade, Sunday, June 1, 2025, in Covington, Ky.

Frank Bowen IV, The Enquirer Via USA TODAY NETWORK

Marchers proudly walk in the Jersey Pride Parade and Festival, Rally in Asbury Park on June 1, 2025.

Peter Ackerman, USA TODAY NETWORK

People take part in a pride conga in Havana, Cuba on May 10, 2025.

YAMIL LAGE, AFP Via Getty Images

People take part in the LGBTQIA+ Pride Festival in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, May 24, 2025.

CY LIU, REUTERS

People take part in the Pride Festival in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, May 24, 2025.

CY LIU, REUTERS

Picture taken during the 'Dyke March' manifestation for lesbian, queer, bisexual, pansexual, trans and non-binary people, Friday 16 May 2025 in Brussels.

Eliminating the federal recognition of transgender people, it also denies federal funding from programs that promote “gender ideology.” Yet, as the Magnum archive shows, non-violent opposition always breeds new forms. “For generations, LGBTQI+ Americans have summoned the courage to live authentically and proudly—even when it meant putting their lives and livelihoods at risk,” President Joe Biden remarked when recognizing Pride Month this year.

gay pride photos

The Stonewall Uprising began on June 28, 1969, when police raided the Stonewall Inn, a prominent gay bar in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village. 70,000 participants marched through the streets for the 29th edition of Brussels Pride, held under the theme 'Unite, time to protect our rights.' The event highlighted the increasing pressure on queer rights, featured a Hungarian delegation, and included references to Trump and Gaza.

BOB REIJNDERS, Middle East Images/AFP Via Getty Images

People take part in the LGBTQIA+ Pride in Brussels, Belgium, on May 17, 2025.

NICOLAS TUCAT, AFP Via Getty Images

People wear shiny costumes and walk through the city during the pride parade in Brussels, Belgium, on May 17, 2025.

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Pride Month, which officially begins on June 1, commemorates the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in New York and celebrates the LGBTQIA+ community and the fight for equal rights. Celebrations of queer and trans people across borders.

56 years on, repressive laws and social mores that restrict LGBTQ+ liberties persist. If you purchase an item through these links, we receive a commission.

Bear Belgium members march during the pride parade in Brussels, Belgium, on May 17, 2025.

BOB REIJNDERS, Middle East Images/AFP Via Getty Images

A young girl sits on someone's shoulders while holding a pride-themed sign in Brussels, Belgium, on May 17, 2025.

BOB REIJNDERS, Middle East Images/AFP Via Getty Images

A Palestinian flag and a rainbow flag with a heart are displayed on a balcony in Brussels, Belgium, on May 17, 2025.

BOB REIJNDERS, Middle East Images/AFP Via Getty Images

People walk during the parade in Brussels, Belgium, on May 17, 2025.

BOB REIJNDERS, Middle East Images/AFP Via Getty Images

People are seen at a pride parade Brussels, Belgium, on May 17, 2025.

BOB REIJNDERS, Middle East Images/AFP Via Getty Images

(L-R) Betsey Johnson and Gottmik are seen during Betsey Johnson and the Elton John AIDS Foundation Pride Party at The Hole Gallery on May 29, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.

Presley Ann, Getty Images For Betsey Johnson

Violet Chachki DJs durng Betsey Johnson and the Elton John AIDS Foundation Pride Party at The Hole Gallery on May 29, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.

Presley Ann, Getty Images For Betsey Johnson

Friends and neighbors celebrate Haddon Township, New Jersey's 5th Annual Pride Parade on June 5, 2025.

Kaitlyn McCormick, The Courier-Post

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Celebrate LGBTQ empowerment for Pride 2025: See parades, marches, festivals

WORLD

May 30, 2025Updated June 7, 2025, 5:14 p.m.

This weekend the 'Brussels Pride' is organized to demand equal rights for and celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community.

JONAS ROOSENS, BELGA MAG/AFP Via Getty Images

People dance during the LGBTQIA+ Pride in Brussels on May 17, 2025.

NICOLAS TUCAT, AFP Via Getty Images

People gather for the Brussels Pride parade through the streets of Brussels on May 17, 2025.

Today, homosexuality is still criminalized in 65 countries around the world. The protests that followed are credited with a shift in activism in the U.S. The following year saw some of the first Pride parades in Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York.

Marchers hold a large rainbow flag overhead while moving through the city center in Brussels, Belgium, on May 17, 2025.

Displays of devotion and tenderness in Lebanon. This weekend the 'Brussels Pride' is organized to demand equal rights for and celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community.

JONAS ROOSENS, BELGA MAG/AFP Via Getty Images

People light smoke flares during the 'Dyke March' manifestation for lesbian, queer, bisexual, pansexual, trans and non-binary people, Friday 16 May 2025 in Brussels.

“This month, we recommit to realizing the promise of America for all Americans.” 

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Brussels Pride puts the LGBTQIA+ community in the spotlight by adorning the streets of Brussels with the colors of the rainbow.

JAMES ARTHUR GEKIERE, BELGA MAG/AFP Via Getty Images

People carry a large rainbow flag in Brussels, Belgium, on May 17, 2025.