Words Matter
As we celebrate America 250 alongside Pride Month this year, let us reflect on the culmination of public action that brought us to where we are today. Pride Month is a time to celebrate and support the culture and contributions of the LGBTQIA+ community—from riots to parades to a Presidential Proclamation.
Coining of the slogan “Gay Pride” is attributed to L. Craig Schoonmaker, one of the organizers of the event to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall Inn riots of 1969. A few years later, the first rainbow flag appeared, designed by activist and artist Gilbert Baker at the behest of Harvey Milk for the June 25, 1978, San Francisco Gay Freedom Day Parade. More recently, flags have been designed to further inclusion and bring to the fore marginalized LGBTQIA+ communities of color, those living with HIV/AIDS, and trans and non-binary persons.
Unfortunately, the word “pride,” chosen to connote unity and self-acceptance among a group of people, is now among many words—freedom, patriotism, valor, equity, diversity, immigrant—being weaponized either in support of policy agendas, or to “trigger” the other side, whomever or whatever that is. Such wordplay can result in behaviors ranging from "owning" and trolling to dangerous dehumanizing of our fellow Americans. That’s both disturbing and frankly un-American.
As we reflect throughout this year on the 250th anniversary of the birth of our nation, we cannot know for certain what the Founders would have thought about gay rights, or civil rights, or feminism, or any of the other movements that have helped our nation grow and forge our collective identity.
Key words and phrases from the Declaration of Independence suggest that given their foundational principles, they would have been supportive. Phrases like: “all men are created equal,” “inalienable rights” granted by the Creator and not the government, and the right to “life, liberty and happiness” as chosen by the individual and not the state.
They might not have landed on the word Pride, known in their day as one of the seven deadly sins along with fan favorites: envy, sloth, etc. But no matter. Their words matter and have been used countless times as rationales to right wrongs, demand social change and become our best selves. As was intended and reinforced a dozen years later in the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution which proclaimed:
"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence (sic), promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."
Happy Pride.
Diane Kresh
Director, Arlington Public Library
Director's Note
While L. Craig Schoonmaker made contributions to the Pride Movement, I must condemn the harmful beliefs he held against women and gender nonconforming people.
Celebrate Pride at the Library.
Check out Director Kresh's list of LGBTQIA+ titles for Pride Month 2026.
Learn more about Pride history and activism with the Library's LGBTQIA+ Timeline.