Pride NYC, a celebration of all things lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT), is upon us. More than 40 years since Pride launched, not only is it important to know what cool Latino LGBT events are happening in and around New York City and beyond but also what sparked the annual push for visibility and rights.

Stonewall Inn, located in Greenwich Village, best known as "the gay bar in the city," welcomes a mixed crowd of predominately white, black and Hispanic patrons in their upper teens and early thirties. In the early morning hours of June 28, 1969, violent demonstrations by members of the LGBT community erupted in reaction to frequent police raids and harassment. The explosive scene was one of many, and resulted in numerous arrests and hospitalizations, but it also sparked conversations about LGBT rights.

June 28, 1970 marked the date of the first-ever Gay Pride marches, which took place in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago, commemorating the anniversary of the Stonewall Riots because of the pivotal change it brought on.

Decades later, Pride parades and marches are widespread, and the LGBT community annually gathers to demonstrate the importance of their legal rights. The Latino LGBTQ community has always been an active voice within the greater queer community and helped to broadcast messages of empowerment and visibility -- also, communicating gains and challenges faced by queers of color in the U.S.

Approximately 1.4 million, or 4.3 percent, of U.S. Latinos consider themselves LGBT, according to a 2013 report by UCLA's Williams Institute. The report estimated that 146,000 Latinos live in same-sex couple households, with most LGBT Latinos dwelling in Texas, Nevada and California. The sizable LGBT Latino community, and others, may not such a need to continue the fight for same-sex marriage now that the Supreme Court has declared it legal in all 50 states; however, many LGBT Latinos argue there's still plenty to fight for, including the release of LGBTQ immigrants who are jailed in detention centers while awaiting asylum.

Nonetheless, Pride has commenced, and for the entirety of national Pride Month, Latino LGBT events have been pitched around the country to celebrate gains and mourn losses. The United Latin@ Pride in Chicago, Black & Latin@ Pride in Boston, Black and Latino Gay Pride in Albany, and D.C. Latino Pride in Washington, D.C., have already hosted events earlier in the month, but there are many other events to come.

San Francisco Pride Latin Stage will be throwing a celebration featuring a Latin Stage concert hosted by Club Papi. Los Horóscopos De Durango, Carmen Rios, The Papi Dancers, and Sonora Tropicana, will be present on Sunday, June 28.

July 4, the Pride "Bigger Than" Texas Festival & Parade will include a festival, rainbow dash, a high heel race and a parade in San Antonio. Also, in the month of July, Portland Latino Gay Pride will celebrate its tenth year anniversary. From July 23 to July 26, the organization will introduce exciting and fun happenings.

New York City will host a plethora of events, including the annual Dyke March, a party scene at the Dance on the Pier, and the Pride march that starts at 36th Street and Fifth Avenue and will continue downtown to Christopher and Greenwich Streets in the West Village. Also, "Interface: Queer Artists Forming Communities Through Social Media," a free exhibition at the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art, could be interesting for those interested in LGBTQ artists.

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