tired

Tired of socializing in seedy bars where they were likely to be harassed and arrested, sick of lying and denying, of withstanding humiliation, of being beaten up, and of living in constant fear of discovery that might get them fired or even killed, the “deviants” at Manhattan’s Stonewall Inn, a gay bar, one night fought back. That night and the nights to follow occurred at the end of June 1969, and they are the reason that June was chosen for LGBT Pride Month.

With the growth of the Gay Pride movement, symbols such as pink triangles, intended by the Nazis as badges of shame, became badges of honor. The Greek lambda (λ), the lowercase version of the 11th letter of the Greek alphabet, was first adopted as a symbol of gay liberation by the New York Gay Activists Alliance. It later was picked up by many other groups—local, national, and international—but what it signifies remains mysterious. Whatever its meaning, one is bound to see the lambda at most gay events. Still, the rainbow flag is arguably the most visible symbol of gay pride—seen on bumper stickers, clothing, pens, and a great variety of other items.