By Joe Bachman
Multimedia Editor

STEVENS POINT — City officials passed a resolution recognizing June as Pride Month in Stevens Point.

The resolution receives a unanimous vote in the city council meeting held on Monday, June 17. District 5 Aldperson Meleesa Johnson asked Mayor Mike Wiza to read the resolution out loud.

Part of the resolution reads as follows:

“…the City of Stevens Point has a diverse Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning (LGBTQ+) community and is committed to supporting visibility, dignity and equity for all people in the community; and WHEREAS, many of the residents, students, city employees, and business owners within the City of Stevens Point who contribute to the enrichment of our City are a part of the LGBTQ+ community;

and WHEREAS, various advancements have been made with respect to equitable treatment of LGBTQ+ persons throughout the nation, but there continues to be some opposition to people from this community and around the world making it important for cities like Stevens Point to stand up and show support for our residents who are impacted…”

Pride Month was established in 1994 by a number of LGBTQ+ coalitions to honor the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan. Also referred to as the Stonewall riots, these were sometimes violent demonstrations to protest police raids on the gay community in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Manhattan. This is largely seen as the kickstarter for the gay liberation movement, and began the fight for equality and LGBTQ+ rights in America.