As a company and a family that has long supported the LGBTQ community and has worked to create an environment at Harney & Sons Fine Teas that supports and celebrates diversity, we are proud to celebrate Pride Month. While today’s festivities have turned into fun, colorful (in more than one way, thank you Key West!) celebrations, the roots of Pride Month are very serious.
You can trace Pride Month back to the events of June 1969 at the Stonewall Inn in New York City. In the early morning hours of June 28, police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay club. Throughout New York state, it had been illegal to even serve alcohol to a gay person until 1966, and in 1969 homosexuality was still considered a criminal offense. Police would routinely raid these clubs across the country claiming the bar was operating with an improper or no liquor license, but the true intent of the raid was to violently harass and arrest LGBTQ people.
What made the Stonewall raid different from others was that the patrons fought back. They clashed with police, threw bottles and would not back down. Crowds grew, and a six-day protest ensued that would later be called the Stonewall Uprising. It was the beginning of change.
One year later on June 28, 1970, the first Pride March was held in New York City. It is estimated that three to five thousand individuals marched in the inaugural Pride parade in New York City. Today, marchers in New York number in the millions. Since that time, LGBTQ people and their supporters gather in June around the world to show their Pride and demonstrate for equal rights.
Looking for ways to show your support and let your Pride flag fly? Fortunately, there are LOTS of ways to celebrate Pride Month.
Pride Parades. If you like parades, boy are you in luck! You can throw a dart blindfolded at a map and will almost certainly hit a city or town that’s holding a Pride parade. Looking for one near you or in some place you’d like to visit? The Gay Pride Calendar offers an extensive list of parades and activities around the world.
Virtual Pride. Crowds aren’t your thing? Thanks to the pandemic, virtual events for Pride Month started springing up everywhere over the last two years. Since doing things virtually has become part of our culture, you can still find ways to participate with others from the comfort of your home. Check with your local Pride organization or search for virtual Pride events.
Show Your Pride. Go loud and proud with that Pride love! Display flags and stickers, wear Pride tees, hats, sneakers. And you know your pup wants to show their pride too with a fun rainbow bandana, or you can go all out with something like this!
Read and Watch With Pride. There are many wonderful books and movies featuring LGBTQ themes or characters, LGBTQ documentaries and Pride-themed channels on streaming services. Consider hosting a Pride-themed movie night or starting an LGBTQ book group with a diverse membership.
Support With Pride. You can show your support all year long by supporting businesses that are LGBTQ friendly, donate to LGBTQ non-profit organizations and of course be there for your LGBTQ family, friends and co-workers.
Throw a Pride Tea Party! A Pride tea party is all about color, color and more color! A variety of colorful macarons are a must for starters. Keep the fun going with bright ice creams like mint, orange sherbert, neapolitan, cherry, strawberry, lime – whatever you can find! Cupcakes, of course, and don’t hold back on the sprinkles. Fruit is an excellent option as well with all those natural colors and goodness. Want to get really adventurous? Try this Rainbow Pride Cake Recipe for an over-the-top addition to your Pride party.
Some great colorful teas for your party:
Whether it’s in June or any time of the year, we hope you’ll find a way to show your Pride!
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Enjoy getting to know Tsuyoshi Sugimoto, the owner and president of Shohokuenchten tea company in Kyoto, Japan, and a longtime colleague and friend of the Harneys.
