PRIDE Month is celebrated in June to honor the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan, which was a turning point for the Gay Liberation Movement in the United States. The Stonewall Uprising began on June 28th, 1969, during a NYC police raid of the Stonewall Inn. The uprising led to 6 days of protests, and ultimately, a massive LGBTQ+ movement, which was led in large part by trans women of color and black lesbians (lezzzbehonest – we did that!). Four of the main leaders of the Stonewall uprising included Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, and Stormé DeLarverie.
The first Pride marches were held in New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago on June 28, 1970, the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising.
New York City Pride 2024 marks the 40th anniversary of Heritage of Pride and the 55th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising. In honor of Pride Month, and the upcoming NYC Pride March, which will be held this year on Sunday, June 30th, I am serving up a few PRIDE bangers to relish in and dance to, the remainder of this absolutely, positively GAY-ass month!
Long before “Padam” took over gay bars and Pride celebrations everywhere, the iconic Kylie Minogue offered up this euphoric ode to dancing your fears away. Released in 2010, more than two decades into her career, “All the Lovers” continues to be an anthem for the LGBTQ+ community.
Talk about love overcoming repression! Inspired by David Bowie witnessing a kiss near the Berlin Wall, the title song from his 12th studio album tells a tale of two lovers, one from East Berlin and one from West Berlin, defying the barriers all around them by being “heroes, just for one day.”
Few artists have had the kind of impact on the LGBTQ+ community as Madonna, and even fewer songs have fully captured the joy and resilience of the community as this one. This dance-pop masterpiece has been a staple of empowerment ever since she belted out the immortal words, “Come on girls, Do you believe in LOVE?”
Okay all you Billie Eilish fantasizers – THIS IS OBVIOUSLY THE SONG YOU’VE BEEN WAITING FOR.
It’s been three years since Billie Eilish released an album. Last month, she returned with Hit Me Hard and Soft and a new single, “Lunch,” which finds the singer ambitiously at ease. Though “Lunch” is built on restless lust, the anxiety sounds playful- and Eilish finally sounds free. Lyrically, “Lunch” follows Eilish’s infatuation with a girl. The pulsating track is cheeky and hot while animating a carnal desire for connection. “I could eat that girl for lunch. Yeah, she dances on my tongue. Tastes like she might be the one.” You might need a cold shower after listening to this one!
Queerguru’s Music Editor ALLISON ANANIS is a graduate of Bowdoin College and also holds a Master of Public Administration from Suffolk University. Currently, she works in Health and Human Services in Boston where she also resides with her wife Meg. Weekends are spent in Provincetown where the incessant playing of her eclectic choice of music very loudly brought her to the attention of Queerguru’s Editor
