The first Pride march in New York City was held on June 28, 1970, on the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising.
In the United States, the last Sunday in June was initially celebrated as "Gay Pride Day”. In major cities across the nation, the "day" soon grew to encompass a month-long series of events to celebrate the LGBT community.
President Barack Obama declared June LGBT Pride Month with a proclamation issued in 2010. The first Hollywood Gay Parade was held in 1972.
I captured some of the activity with my camera and returned every year to witness the event that grew bigger and wilder as years passed and the stigma of being gay disappeared. I offer this week a selection of pictures from gatherings celebrated locally from1972 to 2019.