The Stonewall Riots began in New York City on June 28, 1969, when homosexuality was still considered a criminal offense in the state. The LGBTQ community chose to fight back against police raids at the Stonewall Inn in West Village, New York, starting a six-day riot.
The event is credited with sparking the modern LGBTQ rights movement, which led to the creation of Pride marches around the world. The date of the riot is also the reason why June is considered Pride Month in different countries.
Over the decades, the NYC Pride March and other demonstrations around the world have evolved into a celebration marked by celebrity grand marshals and parties throughout the city. Here, WWD takes a look at Pride around the world.
West Hollywood, California
![Mariah Carey, Pride in the Park, Pride](https://cdn.statically.io/img/wwd.com/wp-content/themes/vip/pmc-wwd-2021/assets/public/lazyload-fallback.gif)
West Hollywood Pride was marked not only by a parade featuring celebrities like Niecy Nash-Betts and Melissa McCarthy but also featured a Pride in the Park concert with headliners Mariah Carey and Megan Thee Stallion.
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Washington, D.C.
![Jill Biden, Pride, Washington, DC](https://cdn.statically.io/img/wwd.com/wp-content/themes/vip/pmc-wwd-2021/assets/public/lazyload-fallback.gif)
Washington’s Pride is known as Capital Pride. This year, President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden invited thousands of guests to celebrate Pride Month with a performance by pop singer Betty Who.
When Biden took office in 2021, he appointed Pete Buttigieg as his Secretary of Transportation, making him the highest-ranking openly gay politician in the line of presidential succession.
London
![London, Pride, TMW, trans](https://cdn.statically.io/img/wwd.com/wp-content/themes/vip/pmc-wwd-2021/assets/public/lazyload-fallback.gif)
For Pride this year, London teamed up with TMW for the Never March Alone campaign. The campaign featured a series of portraits representing trans people alongside their families. It was considered a revolutionary moment for trans visibility.
New York City
![Adam Lambert, Christina Aguilera, Pride, Pride Island](https://cdn.statically.io/img/wwd.com/wp-content/themes/vip/pmc-wwd-2021/assets/public/lazyload-fallback.gif)
New York City is home to one of the largest Pride marches in the world, taking place through multiple neighborhoods and ending in the West Village blocks from the historic site of Stonewall. In addition to the parade, the NYC Pride March is marked by multiple events throughout the city, with performances and concerts.
Christina Aguilera headlined the highly anticipated Pride Island performing alongside Adam Lambert. In addition to the main Pride March, there was also the Queer Liberation March, a protest that goes on as an anti-corporate response to pride.
Toronto
![Toronto, Pride, LGBT](https://cdn.statically.io/img/wwd.com/wp-content/themes/vip/pmc-wwd-2021/assets/public/lazyload-fallback.gif)
In Toronto, the annual Pride parade is a celebration where LGBTQ community members and their allies take to the streets to celebrate the nation’s continued progress for gay rights.
York, England
![York, Pride, LGBT](https://cdn.statically.io/img/wwd.com/wp-content/themes/vip/pmc-wwd-2021/assets/public/lazyload-fallback.gif)
York Pride marks North Yorkshire’s biggest LGBTQ celebration. Their event started at York Minsters and ended at a main Festival site, where guests got to spend the day celebrating with other LBGTQ community members and allies.
Jerusalem, Israel
![Jerusalem, Pride, LGBT](https://cdn.statically.io/img/wwd.com/wp-content/themes/vip/pmc-wwd-2021/assets/public/lazyload-fallback.gif)
Jerusalem’s march was both a momentous occasion and a protest. The annual event attracted as many as 15,000 people marching, and while Israel has its first openly gay speaker of parliament, right-wing and religious counter-protests also occurred.
Bangkok
![Bangkok, Pride, LGBT](https://cdn.statically.io/img/wwd.com/wp-content/themes/vip/pmc-wwd-2021/assets/public/lazyload-fallback.gif)
In Thailand, LGBTQ citizens still face discrimination and same-sex couples aren’t eligible for some of the legal protections as opposite-sex couples. This year’s Pride parade was attended by members of the Pheu Thai party, who are advocating for more LGBTQ rights.
São Paulo
![Sao Paulo, Pride, LGBT](https://cdn.statically.io/img/wwd.com/wp-content/themes/vip/pmc-wwd-2021/assets/public/lazyload-fallback.gif)
São Paulo’s Pride parade is one of the largest in the entire world, where millions of attendees globally descend on the city. The event once broke the record for being the most attended Pride event in the world. 2023 was no exception, as attendees packed the streets.