As we celebrate Pride Month, numerous stories highlight how the rainbow flag became a symbol for the LGBTQ+ community. While there are several accounts of how the flag evolved into the worldwide icon it is today for LGBTQ+ rights, the narrative that aligns with my research originates from the creative communities in New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.
While Pride Month, celebrated every June, honors the LGBTQ+ community, its history, and the ongoing fight for equality, it also commemorates the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in New York City—an essential moment in the LGBTQ+ rights movement. Additionally, it highlights other marginalized and discriminated communities, reinforcing that LGBTQ+ rights are human rights.
THE HISTORY OF MUSIC AND THE PRIDE FLAG
Before the Pride Flag, there was an unofficial anthem, and the background on that topic is often overlooked. Nevertheless, it carried a healing message that the LGBTQ+ community needed long before it became the community we recognize today. This anthem emerged around the same time that America first learned about a disease called AIDS.
In the 1970s, when the AIDS epidemic began, it significantly affected creative community on Broadway in New York, the movie and music industries in Los Angeles, and the vibrant activist community around the San Francisco Bay Area. During that time, it was referred to as the gay community. The LGB movement evolved, followed by the LGBT+ movements that emerged from the 1990s into the early and mid-2000s.
HOW TO FIGHT THE PAIN WITHOUT BEING PERSICUTED?
Meanwhile, the gay community was in profound pain, losing dear family members and friends to the disease. Many people felt unable to publicly process their grief due to fear of retribution. Members of the creative community proposed writing a song that could serve both as an anthem and a means of processing their pain.
Harold Arlen, the son of a Jewish cantor, learned how music could move people from a young age. He became one of the most prolific songwriters of the 20th century, composing over 200 songs. Although Arlen was not gay himself, he was a Jewish man familiar with discrimination and the fight against prejudice. As a powerful voice in the music community, he took a bold stand in defense of the gay community, advocating for his colleagues and friends.
Arlen believed he could create a song in collaboration with a well-known artist that would be simple in purpose yet respected within mainstream public. He proposed revisiting one of his early hits, “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” which features lyrics by Yip Harburg and was originally written for the classic 1939 film “The Wizard of Oz.” Judy Garland performed the song in the film. Although she passed away in 1969, her daughter, Liza Minnelli—a strong advocate for the gay community—discussed with Arlen the possibility of re-releasing the song which happened in 1971.
The song Arlen composed and that Garland performed as a child star in the movie carries a beautiful message: despite the darkness, pain, and suffering we may face—whether we are gay or straight—we can hold onto the hope that brighter days await us somewhere over the rainbow. The creative community embraced the song to honor and express their grief after losing a fellow performer, friend, family member, or anyone whose life has been cut short.
Liza Minelli has become an icon in the LGBTQ+ community. Sadly, neither Judy Garland nor Harold Arlen lived long enough to witness the global impact their song has had. However, Minelli continues to be a beloved advocate for the cause.
I would be remiss not to mention another contemporary song that, like “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” has become an unofficial anthem for Pride.
The beautiful song “Seasons of Love” from the Broadway play RENT was composed and written by Jonathan Larson, who coincidentally had a strong Jewish musical background, similar to that of Harold Arlen, and was a fan of his work. Tragically, Larson passed away at the young age of 35, the night before the show’s preview opening. In his honor, the cast performed the song at the beginning of the performance.
For theater enthusiasts like myself, if you’ve seen RENT, you know that this song is performed at the start of the second act, referencing both recent events and those to come. Pride Month and the Broadway community play an essential role in fostering a time of joy, reflection, and remembrance for those who came before us and made the ultimate sacrifice.
Music and Pride Month go hand in hand, as they should.
THE PRIDE FLAG
As for the Pride flag a pivotal moment in gay history came in November 1978, Harvey Milk, the first openly gay member of the San Francisco City Council, and Mayor George Moscone were both shot and killed by Dan White, a disgruntled former city supervisor. Milk’s assassination was a crucial moment in LGBTQ+ history, and he is regarded as an enduring icon for civil rights and equality.
Milk’s death launched a more cohesive movement, as the gay community finally received significant national support following the assassination of the city councilman and the mayor. Suddenly, America woke up to the fact that gay individuals were being targeted for their beliefs. While this was hardly a surprise in the gay community, the country was finally exposed to the human rights violations occurring against them.
In 1978, artist and activist Gilbert Baker designed the Pride flag, commissioned by Harvey Milk just a few months before Milk’s death. The flag was intended as a symbol of hope for the LGBTQ+ community. Baker viewed flags as powerful symbols of pride and visibility, and he chose the rainbow to represent the diversity within the community.
Each color of the flag has a specific meaning: Hot Pink represents sexuality, Red symbolizes life, Orange signifies healing, Yellow embodies sunlight, Green reflects nature, and Turquoise illustrates magic or art. In a later interview, Baker mentioned that he was inspired by the song “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” in creating the flag, as it provided a tangible representation of the song’s vision.
It is difficult to understand how anyone could object to the pursuit of equality for all. But now for the bad news….
ANOTHER FIGHT IS BREWING
The year 2025 marks the first time since President Bill Clinton established Pride Month in 1999 that the White House not chosen to recognize the event. Despite supporting it in 2015 with a Tweet saying that he stood with the LBGTQ+ community President Donald Trump has changed his tune with pushback from the far right and the Christian Conservatives.
The admirations attack on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) guidelines, signaling to businesses that supporting LGBTQ+ inclusion may be politically risky to support Pride. Some states have banned Pride flags on government property, while over 500 bills targeting the LGBTQ+ community have been proposed in Congress and in state legislatures.
Corporate support for Pride Month is declining, with brands like Comcast, Anheuser-Busch, and PepsiCo pulling sponsorships due to political pressure. Approximately 40% of corporations are reducing their recognition of Pride Month. It would be wise to boycott these companies for showing they are too afraid of what the government says than doing the right thing and supporting Pride.
Meanwhile, hate crimes against LGBTQ+ individuals, especially transgender people, are on the rise, with reports of destroyed Pride flags, homophobic graffiti, and vandalism of supportive churches and synagogues.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, known for his controversial “Don’t Say Gay” bill, recently had flags on state buildings lowered to half staff in memory of the ninth anniversary of the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, which resulted in the deaths of 49 individuals. In his annual statement regarding the Pulse shooting anniversary, released on Wednesday, Governor DeSantis made no mention of the LGBTQ and Hispanic communities—two groups that were significantly affected by the tragedy.
DeSantis has had conflicts with the LGBTQ +community in Florida. His administration has enacted policies that have been criticized for targeting LGBTQ rights, including laws restricting classroom instruction on sexuality and gender. He is not alone with Republican governors following his lead on striping rights away from the LGBTQ community.
The Trump administration has taken actions such as renaming a Navy ship that honored LGBTQ+ icon Harvey Milk, fencing off a park in a historically gay neighborhood, and soliciting tips on medical providers offering gender-affirming care. These moves have been widely criticized by LGBTQ+ advocates as attempts to undermine Pride Month and LGBTQ+ rights.
But this is an issue that most of the American public are on the side of the LBGTQ+ community for a change.
AMERICA SUPPORTS LBGTQ+ RIGHTS
Polls indicate that by 2025, opponents of Pride Month and LGBTQ+ rights will be in the minority. According to a survey conducted by the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI), 75% of Americans support nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ+ individuals in housing, employment, and public accommodations. Regarding marriage equality, 53% of Americans are in favor of same-sex marriage, which is consistent with global trends. Support for transgender rights is more divided. Only 38% of Americans believe that transgender individuals should be allowed to use facilities that align with their gender identity. Additionally, just 22% support transgender athletes competing based on their gender identity, a decline from 32% in 2021.
This is a battle where the minority must understand that American voters will not allow small-minded politicians to undo decades of hard work, senseless persecution, and outright hatred. Not this time. We need to start locally, where school boards and city councils are banning books. State by state, rights that have been fought for over the years and are now laws are being terminated and rolled back. In the upcoming midterm elections, we need to vote out any Democrat or Republican who is against human rights. Nearly 50 years of rights that have cost people their jobs and lives simply for loving someone of the same sex are under attack.
THERE ARE MEMBERS OF THE LGBTQ+ WHO ARE HISPANIC AND BEING PICKED UP IN THE ICE RAIDS
Members of the LGBTQ+ community should be aware that an ICE-type attack could happen to them. Many local Hispanic business owners who supported Trump in 2025 are discovering that he is not only targeting criminals. These business owners are facing workforce challenges, largely due to the immigration policies of his administration.
A survey conducted by the United States Hispanic Business Council revealed that while many Hispanic business owners were optimistic about Trump’s economic policies, 61.11% believed that his immigration policies would negatively impact the American workforce. Additionally, Trump’s mass deportation efforts have started to affect Latino business owners and their employees. His administration recently executed a large-scale deportation, and future removals could significantly reduce the available labor force, particularly in industries such as agriculture, construction, and hospitality, which rely heavily on undocumented workers none of them are criminals.
Please take the time to review the over 500 pieces of legislation at the local, state, and national levels. Click here for a comprehensive list of the bills and how they may affect you. Now more than ever, the community must be aware of changing laws and be proactive in fighting these measures before it is too late.
GOOD TROUBLE
Taking inspiration from the late Congressman John Lewis, a civil rights icon from Georgia who was beaten while attempting to cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., we can reflect on his phrase “Good Trouble.” This phrase became a rallying cry during the civil rights movement. Congressman Lewis often encouraged people to “lawfully and peacefully get in good trouble, necessary trouble” as a way to stand up against injustice and fight for civil rights. He used this phrase to inspire peaceful activism, emphasizing that sometimes it is necessary to break rules or disrupt the status quo to create meaningful change.
It is time for the LGBTQ+ community to create some “Good Trouble.” We have reached a critical point where remaining silent is not the appropriate response. You can take action, whether by writing letters, manning phone banks, attend town hall meetings or participate in protests to voice your opposition to any laws that threaten the rights fought for over the past nearly 50 years.
Civil and human rights are now on the line and no one straight or gay should be allowing these rights to be taken away.
