Pride month is a celebration of LGBTQIA+ rights and culture that takes place each year in June. It is an opportunity to celebrate the progress made in advancing civil rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer, and asexual individuals. It is also a time to reflect on the struggles and hardships still faced by members of these communities. Here are some facts about Pride Month that bring awareness to the importance of this month-long celebration:
1. The first official Pride event took place in June 1969 in New York City, at the Stonewall Inn. This uprising was sparked by a police raid on the nightspot, which was popular with LGBTQIA+ individuals at the time. The event helped jumpstart the modern-day LGBTQIA+ rights movement.
2. Pride events are held all around the world, including in Europe, South America, Asia and Australia. In some countries, such as Russia and Uganda, holding a Pride parade or gathering is illegal.
3. In June 2020, the US Supreme Court ruled that LGBTQIA+ individuals were protected from workplace discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This ruling was a major win for the LGBTQIA+ community and supporters alike.
4. Garden Warfare has long been an ally to the LGBTQIA+ community. In 2018, the game hosted its first ever Pride event in celebration of LGBTQIA+ rights and visibility. Garden Warfare also boasts a diverse array of characters from various backgrounds and sexual orientations. As part of the event, players could purchase special rainbow-colored outfits for their characters to show their support.
5. Throughout pride month, Garden Warfare released special in-game items and activities to celebrate and encourage players to show their support. This included a pride parade, where players could join a special march with their chosen characters. There were also several other activities such as rainbow-colored quests, unique allies, and the ability to change your character’s voice lines into phrases of support. The in-game festivities ran for the entire month of June and were a great way to express solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community, both in-game and out.
Garden Warfare’s dedication to celebrating diversity and inclusion was much appreciated by its players, who flooded social media with messages of support and appreciation for the event.
