June is Pride Month

Wednesday, Jun. 7, 2023

LGBTQ Pride Month is celebrated annually in June across the globe. In Johnson County, the Board of County Commissioners issued a Pride Month proclamation on June 15, 2023.

Pride Month began on June 28, 1970, one year to the day after the beginning of the Stonewall Uprising: a series of protests by the LGBTQ community, led primarily by Black and Brown trans and queer people. On that first anniversary, parades were held in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. 

Since then, three presidents have officially declared June to be Pride month, and it has been recognized consistently at the federal level over the past two decades. June has become a time for LGBTQ people to both commemorate the history of the LGBTQ community and to celebrate the freedom to live authentically. The month is filled with parades, celebrations and educational events to honor the community’s history and to celebrate the impact that LGBTQ people have had on local and worldwide history.

Whether you celebrate Pride Month or want to learn more about its purpose, the Library has resources to better understand this history both locally and throughout the country. We encourage you to explore our catalog to find stories and resources that speak to you, but our Librarians have also gathered some resources for anyone interested: 

Celebrating Pride Month? Enjoy these Librarian picks:

The Library also offers myriad digital resources that can help anyone interested learn more about LGBTQ+ history, art and culture.  

eBooks & eAudiobooks on Libby:  

LGBTQIA+ fiction 
LGBTQIA+ - non-fiction 

Films: 

Discover Kanopy’s colorful collection of films that honor and celebrate those in the LGBTQ+ community with this list.  

World News: 

NewsBank has created "Social Issues” and “Diversity Equity Inclusion" topics, where you can find information on #LGBTQ+ current events, gender and identity advocacy, community resources, and more. To learn about our e-resources, click here and log in with your Library card.  

Research: 

Find hundreds of LGBTQ+ biographies in the Gale Biography database.  

A digital archive of ACLU Papers that include historical documents pertaining to gender issues that the ACLU took on in the twentieth century. Search terms like gender, homosexuality, gay, LGBTQ, etc. pull up relevant documents

National database of LGBTQIA+ business and community organizations. 

History Reference Center database search for LGBTQ+ articles.  

Local Resources: 

Johnson County Mental Health offers resources for anyone seeking individual or community support. Follow them on Facebook or visit their website. 

Events: 

The Past is Prologue: Womontown, Kansas City

Tuesday, June 15, 6:30 – 7:30 PM 
Central Resource Library

The Past is Prologue is a bimonthly program that highlights topics often left out, glossed over, or misrepresented in our history books. For our June topic, artist Sandy Woodson will screen her 30 minute documentary "Womontown" followed by a 30 minute audience Q&A. The documentary first aired in March 2022 and tells the story of an intentional lesbian community that existed in midtown Kansas City in the early 1990s.
 

The Past is Prologue: Kansas City and the Rise of Gay Rights

Thursday, August 3, 6:30 – 7:30 PM 
Online

Stuart Hinds from the Gay and Lesbian Archives of Mid-America will present on pre-Stonewall LGBT activism in Kansas City.

This program will be hosted using the meeting software Zoom. A Johnson County Library staff member will contact registrants via the email you registered with to provide more information about the program and instructions on how to access the Zoom meetings. You do not need to download any software or create an account.