While we're talking about #pride and who is responsible for it, let's not forget this woman. This is Brenda Howard (z''l), commonly known as the "Mother of Pride," a name she was given by those who worked with her. Brenda was a disabled bisexual Jewish cisgender sex worker, a proud member of the BDSM community. She is known for "coordinating a rally and then the Christopher Street Liberation Day March to commemorate the first anniversary of the Stonewall riots. Howard also originated the idea of a week-long series of events around Pride Day which became the genesis of the annual LGBT Pride celebrations that are now held around the world every June.Additionally, Howard along with fellow LGBT activists Stephen Donaldson and L. Craig Schoonmaker are credited with popularizing the word "Pride" to describe these festivities." (Ref: Wikipedia) We would not have Pride without Stonewall, and we must not forget those at Stonewall. It is equally important to lift up in memory Brenda Howard, who created what we think of as Pride, and she did it in direct response to and in alliance with those at Stonewall. She was the sort of person who would just show up for everyone who needed help and spent her life marching, protesting and working for others. She embodied Tikkun Olam. We lost her to cancer in 2005 and the community lost so much when we did. As we remember our icons, remember Brenda Howard. Do not let anyone tell you that you aren't "respectable" enough for Pride. #pridemonth #lgbt #bisexual #loveislove #gaypride #queer #queeraf #queerpride #brendahoward #motherofpride #queerhistory #disgaybled #instagay #girlswhokissgirls

Pride Month is so important because it marks the start of huge change within the LGBT+ community, as well as the wider societal implications. 💫  

Brenda Howard (December 24, 1946 – June 28, 2005) was an American bisexual rights activist, sex-positive feminist, and polyamorist. Howard was an important figure in the modern LGBT rights movement. She is known as the "Mother of Pride" for her work in coordinating the first LGBT Pride march, which occurred in 1970, and she also originated the idea for a week-long series of events around Pride Day which became the genesis of the annual LGBT Pride celebrations that are now held around the world every June. Additionally, Howard along with the bisexual activist Robert A. Martin (aka Donny the Punk) and gay activist L. Craig Schoonmaker are credited with popularizing the word "Pride" to describe these festivities. Bisexual activist Tom Limoncelli later stated, "The next time someone asks you why LGBT Pride marches exist or why [LGBT] Pride Month is June tell them 'A bisexual woman named Brenda Howard thought it should be.'" A fixture in New York City's LGBT Community, Howard was active in the Coalition for Lesbian and Gay Rights which helped guide New York City's Gay rights law through the City Council in 1986 as well as ACT UP and Queer Nation. -Wikipedia (artwork by @elijah.haswell) #PeopleOfPride #BrendaHoward #octoberislgbthistorymonth #lgbthistorymonth #historymonth #EliHaswell #loveislove #lgbt #lgbtq #rainbow #gay #lesbian #transgender #bisexual #pansexual #asexual #genderqueer #male #female  #love #acceptance #diversity #lovewhoyouwant #youareamazing #youarebeautiful #hernandopride #hernandoflorida https://www.instagram.com/p/B4SjSouFPEE/?igshid=39ns12qv0aip

It’s June 5th which means we are five days into #PrideMonth! In honor of that here are 5 facts about Pride. 1. There was originally 8 colors on the #Pride flag - 2 colors were removed because they were hard to copy when the flag became mass produced. Also every color stands for something. 2. The event that inspired the Pride parades we know now was a march to commemorate the Stonewall Riots, which is why this years #worldpride in NYC, celebrating the 50th anniversary of this historic event, is so important. 3. #BrendaHoward, a bisexual woman and lifelong militant activist, was known as the "Mother of Pride" for her work in organizing the Christopher Street Liberation Day March. 4. Pride Month has only been acknowledged by two U.S. presidents, and is even more of a reminder why we should all be proud and show our pride this month no matter what #lgbtqia letter you identify with. 5. A lot of companies spend a lot of money to show their “Pride” by using our rainbow logo, but don’t actually give back to any #lgbtq organizations, so before you spend your money or do business with one of these companies look to see what their ethos really are. Did you guys know all of this? What are some additional Pride facts you want to share? P.S. These epic sweaty workout shots happened during a real @rumble_boxing class. If you haven’t tried one out yet then I highly recommend doing so. It feels good to punch it out, especially as we watch more stupidity take place around the world. Love only y’all. #gayisok #loveislove #rumbleboxing #notanad https://www.instagram.com/p/ByVIOzihkVn/?igshid=oacsyclwzh16

So they say bi erasure is a thing. And it is but on today's #30daysofpride I'm talking about another pioneer. She was and continues to be the mother of the modern day pride movement. she was a proud bisexual that nobody hears about. But she was behind the planning of what would become the most important pride parade in the world. NYC Pride. "One month after the 1969 Stonewall riots that marked a turning point in the gay rights movement, Howard participated in a march commemorating the event. A year later, she organized the first Christopher Street Liberation Day March to mark Stonewall’s anniversary. The march was the first Pride parade in the world. Her efforts encouraged other cities and countries to hold similar events, laying the groundwork for Pride parades internationally. During the 1970s, she chaired the Gay Activists Alliance and was an active member of the Gay Liberation Front. In 1978, she graduated from Manhattan Community College with a degree in nursing. She was actively involved in the Coalition for Lesbian and Gay Rights, successfully lobbying for LGBT rights laws in New York City. In 1987, Howard cofounded the New York Area Bisexual Network. She also founded the first chapter of Alcoholics Anonymous specifically for bisexual people. She successfully lobbied for the inclusion of bisexuality in the 1993 March on Washington at a time when the movement was focused on gay men and lesbians. Howard participated in ACT UP protests and other rallies for people living with HIV/AIDS." As a bi person it is important to remember members of our community and never let them get overshadowed. Because #bierasure is a real thing. She passed away in 2005 and is remembered as a trailblazer in the gay liberation movement and consequential pride marches that have taken place for 48 years since. #brendahoward #gaypride #stopbierasure

#Repost @lgbt_history with @repostapp ・・・ “Bi, Poly, Switch—I’m not greedy, I know what I want.” – Brenda Howard Photo: Brenda Howard (December 24, 1946 – June 28, 2005), Anti-Violence March, Brooklyn, New York, 1989. Photo © Efrain Gonzalez. Brenda Howard, who was born seventy years ago today, was a bisexual, sex-positive, polyamorous feminist who played a significant role in the modern queer liberation movement from its inception. In the weeks after Stonewall, Howard was a member of the committee that organized the July 1969 march to commemorate the riots and protest the ongoing persecution of LGBTQs; having decided that “March Committee” was too bland, the group called themselves the Gay Liberation Front (GLF). Days after the march, GLF officially formed as an independent organization dedicated to ending gay oppression by “relat[ing] the militancy generated by [Stonewall]…to a program that allows homosexuals and sexually liberated persons to confront themselves and persons.” Howard and the others therefore directly were responsible for linking Stonewall to a new chapter in the queer liberation movement. In the decades that followed, Brenda Howard remained a constant figure in the New York LGBTQ activist scene. Among other things, Howard helped organize many of the first Christopher Street Liberation Day Parades and she fought for years for New York City’s gay rights ordinance (which eventually passed in 1986). Not only did Howard participate in ACT UP and Queer Nation, she helped found the New York Area Bisexual Network and served as a regional organizer for BiNet USA. Howard also was proudly active in the BDSM scene and she co-chaired the leather contingent at the March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation in April 1993. Brenda Howard died of colon cancer on June 28, 2005; she was fifty-eight. She was survived by her partner, Larry Nelson. #lgbthistory #HavePrideInHistory #BrendaHoward

“Bi, Poly, Switch—I’m not greedy, I know what I want.” – Brenda Howard Photo: Brenda Howard (December 24, 1946 – June 28, 2005), Anti-Violence March, Brooklyn, New York, 1989. Photo © Efrain Gonzalez. Brenda Howard, who was born seventy years ago today, was a bisexual, sex-positive, polyamorous feminist who played a significant role in the modern queer liberation movement from its inception. In the weeks after Stonewall, Howard was a member of the committee that organized the July 1969 march to commemorate the riots and protest the ongoing persecution of LGBTQs; having decided that “March Committee” was too bland, the group called themselves the Gay Liberation Front (GLF). Days after the march, GLF officially formed as an independent organization dedicated to ending gay oppression by “relat[ing] the militancy generated by [Stonewall]…to a program that allows homosexuals and sexually liberated persons to confront themselves and persons.” Howard and the others therefore directly were responsible for linking Stonewall to a new chapter in the queer liberation movement. In the decades that followed, Brenda Howard remained a constant figure in the New York LGBTQ activist scene. Among other things, Howard helped organize many of the first Christopher Street Liberation Day Parades and she fought for years for New York City’s gay rights ordinance (which eventually passed in 1986). Not only did Howard participate in ACT UP and Queer Nation, she helped found the New York Area Bisexual Network and served as a regional organizer for BiNet USA. Howard also was proudly active in the BDSM scene and she co-chaired the leather contingent at the March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation in April 1993. Brenda Howard died of colon cancer on June 28, 2005; she was fifty-eight. She was survived by her partner, Larry Nelson. #lgbthistory #HavePrideInHistory #BrendaHoward (at Brooklyn, New York)