The 1969 Stonewall uprising, which changed the lives of LGBT people in the United States, now has its own day to be celebrated annually.
Pride Live Nation, the US social advocacy and community group, has announced that Stonewall Day, will be remembered on each year on 28 June.
The first one will take place this week and comes ahead of next year’s 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots in 1969.
Rainbow rebels: 28 June will be Stonewall Day
In a bid to boost recognition of the occasion, more than 50 celebrities, activists, and community leaders have been named Stonewall Inn Ambassadors, the group said.
‘Over the next 12 months, the Ambassadors will work together to elevate awareness and support for the Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative (SIGBI), the official 501(c)3 of the Stonewall Inn.
Celebrity ambassadors to support Stonewall Day
Stonewall Inn Ambassadors include Chelsea Clinton, Bryan Lourd, Laverne Cox, Robbie Rogers, Anna Wintour, Geena Rocero and Cleve Jones, among others, the group said.
En Vogue: Celebrities, including Anna Wintour, are Stonewall Ambassadors
Part of this year’s campaign effort includes the opportunity to spend a day with singer and songwriter Lauren Jauregui.
People in the US can enter by texting the word STONEWALL to 243725 from any mobile device to instantly donate and be automatically entered to win a ‘DIY Day in LA with Lauren’.
The Stonewall Day Text2Give campaign will run from June 25 through 28, 2018.
The Stonewall uprising refers to a series of riots that erupted in the early hours of 28 June 1969. They came in response to a police raid on The Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in Manhattan, New York.
Gay men had faced years of homophobia and anti-gay laws in the US. On that particular morning, though, the tide turned and a series of riots occurred in opposition to the raids.
This rebellion is widely viewed as the catalyst that led to the gay rights movement in the US and the current fight for LGBT rights.
