A DCHS CONNECT HIGHLIGHT

June 9, 2022- The City of Alexandria kicked off the Fifth Annual Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ+) Pride Month on June 4 with a Pride event  at the Charles Houston Recreation Center. Visitors collected Pride swag, enjoyed music and food, made art, posed for Pride pictures and learned about LGBTQ+ inclusive services in Alexandria. Free and confidential HIV testing was also available.  

The event presentations included a Pride Month Proclamation by Mayor Justin Wilson and the popular Drag Queen Story Hour.  

LGBTQ+ Pride Month is recognized each year to celebrate LGBTQ+ people and the influence they have had around the world, as well as to raise awareness of the challenges faced by the LGBTQ+ community. June was chosen as Pride Month to commemorate the Stonewall Rebellion in 969, when activists protested police raids on gay bars in New York City. The rebellion served as a catalyst for the gay rights movement and led to the creation of various gay activist groups in the United States and around the world.   

For more information about the City’s LGBTQ Task Force and resources, visit alexandriava.gov/LGBTQ. Check out the Progress Pride Flag display in Market Square at City Hall. For books and information related to LGBTQ+ Pride Month, visit the Alexandria Library’s LGBTQ Pride webpage.