UC Berkeley’s Vice Chancellor for Equity and Inclusion Dania Matos and other leaders provided this campus statement about Pride Month:

“June marks Pride Month, a time that reminds us to uplift our LGBTQ+ community – our lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and so many more community members that cannot be fully captured in a single acronym. Recognizing that our communities hold an incredibly and beautifully expansive range of intersecting identities and experiences, we celebrate the diverse expressions of gender and sexuality in our campus community. We are also reminded that, in a time of relentless anti-queer, anti-trans, and anti-drag legislation, rhetoric, and violence, we must continue to fight for the safety, dignity, and rights of all LGBTQ+ people.

Celebration as resistance

On June 28, 1970, the first Pride marches commemorated the anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall Uprising, in which LGBTQ+ patrons of the Stonewall Inn, including key leaders such as Stormé DeLarverie, Marsha P. Johnson, and Sylvia Rivera, fought against police brutality. These marches brought LGBTQ+ communities together to demonstrate for equal rights and continue fighting against discrimination. In the face of institutional violence and erasure, Pride was, and still is, resistance through visibility, joy, and celebration. ”

You can find the full message here via UCB Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging, & Justice.