June is LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Questioning) Pride Month. At Vital Proteins®, we believe all love is vital, every day of the year — especially this month. That’s why we're proud to continue our partnership withThe Trevor Project, the world’s largest suicide prevention and mental health organization for LGBTQ young people.
This month, we’re using our platform to educate on the history of Pride and why it’s crucial for brands to show up as advocates for the LGBTQ community not just in June, but all year round.
Why is Pride Month in June?
Pride Month commemorates the anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. The Stonewall Inn was a very popular gay bar in New York City. Police raids were common in bars catering to the LGBTQ community, and on June 28, 1969, patrons of NYC's Stonewall Inn bar fought back. Protestors gathered in the streets surrounding the bar, and these protests continued for the next five days. That night is widely considered by many as the event that sparked the beginning of the gay rights movement. (Here is a more in-depth look at the Stonewall Riots.)
What do the colors of the rainbow Pride flag stand for?
The rainbow Pride flag has become synonymous with the LGBTQ community. Gilbert Baker, an openly gay man and a drag queen, designed the first rainbow flag in 1978, as a symbol of pride for the LGBTQ community. He was inspired by the rainbow, which he considered a natural flag from the sky, according toBritannica.
“We needed something to express our joy, our beauty, our power. And the rainbow did that,” Bakertold CNN. “We’re an ancient, wonderful tribe of people. We picked something from nature. We picked something beautiful.”
The first version of the Pride flag was created for the June 25, 1978 San Francisco Gay Freedom Day parade. Each color of the original eight-color Pride flag carries its own meaning.
- Hot Pink for Sex
- Red for Life
- Orange for Healing
- Yellow for Sunlight
- Green for Nature
- Turquoise for Magic
- Indigo for Harmony
- Violet for Spirit
Today, you’ll likely see a six-color variation of this eight-color flag. That’s because Baker and a team of volunteers made the original version by hand, but in order to mass produce the flag, the pink was removed for cost issues. Baker also removed turquoise, as he thought it would be best to have an even six colors, hetold CNN.Here, you can read an excerpt from Baker’s memoir where he recounts the inspiration behind the rainbow flag.
In 1994, the rainbow flag was established as a symbol for LGBTQ pride when Baker created a mile-long flag for the 25th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots,according to Britannica.
Vital note: While the rainbow flag was the first flag created to represent the LGBTQ community, there are many more iterations today including Transgender, Bisexual, Pansexual, and Lesbian Pride flags.
Vital Proteins X The Trevor Project
To celebrate our commitment to mental health and the LGBTQ community, we are donating $25,000 to support The Trevor Project. Trevor works to save young lives by providing support through free and confidential crisis intervention programs via a 24/7 phone lifeline, chat, and text services.. The organization also runs TrevorSpace, the world’s largest safe space social networking site for LGBTQ youth, and operates innovative education, research, and advocacy programs.
According to The Trevor Project’s2022 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health, 45% of LGBTQ youth seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year, and nearly 1 in 5 transgender and nonbinary youth attempted suicide. The Trevor Project aims to always be there for LGBTQ youth in crisis with a clear message: they are loved, their lives have value, and they are never alone.
If you or a loved one needs support, The Trevor Project offers many mental health services and resources.
- If you or someone you know is feeling hopeless or suicidal, The Trevor Project’s trained crisis counselors are available 24/7 at 1-866-488-7386, via online chat atwww.TheTrevorProject.org/Help, or by texting START to 678678.
- TrevorLifeline is a free, confidential, and secure phone line available to LGBTQ youth 24/7 with trained volunteers. Call 1-866-488-7386.
- TrevorChat is a free, confidential, and secure instant messaging service that provides live help 24/7 for LGBTQ youth by trained volunteers. VisitTheTrevorProject.org/Help.
- TrevorText is a free, confidential, and secure service for LGBTQ youth to text a trained counselor for support and crisis intervention. Text “START” to 678-678. Available 24/7. Standard text messaging rates apply.