In the United States, June—the first month of summer—is celebrated as LGBTQ+ Pride Month. LGBTQ+ stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer or Questioning. The “+” represents other sexual identities. Transgender individuals are those whose identity or self-expression does not match the gender assigned to them at birth.

Throughout June, cities across the nation host concerts, festivals, colorful parades, parties, and other events that honor the identity, contributions, and historical impact of LGBTQ+ people. June is also the month in 2015 when the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that states could not ban same-sex marriage.

The rainbow flag has symbolized the LGBTQ+ community since the late 1970′s. Credit: © Natasha Kramskaya, Shutterstock

Historically, LGBTQ+ Pride Month commemorates the Stonewall uprising, a series of demonstrations for gay rights that took place in New York City in late June and early July 1969. The demonstrations were in response to a police raid at the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Manhattan. Following the raid, bar patrons and other supporters began a series of riots that lasted, on and off, for several days.

The Stonewall uprising was an important part of the change happening in the gay rights movement at the time. In the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, this movement grew in size and strength. Gay rights activists created new organizations and developed political strategies still used today. The Stonewall uprising also inspired gay rights activists in other countries. In 2000, the U.S. Department of the Interior designated the Stonewall Inn and the surrounding streets a national historic landmark. In 2016, U.S. President Barack Obama designated the Stonewall Inn as a national monument.

An activist for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer or questioning (LGBTQ+) rights waves a rainbow flag in front of the Supreme Court Building in Washington, D.C. The rainbow flag is a symbol of LGBTQ+ pride. Credit: © AP Photo

The early 2000’s saw significant advances in LGBTQ+ rights. For example, more than a dozen countries, including Canada, the United States, New Zealand, South Africa, and a number of European and South American nations legalized same-sex marriage. In 2010 and 2016, respectively, the U.S. government ended its ban on openly gay and transgender people serving in the military. And in 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that same-sex spouses were entitled to receive the same federal benefits as heterosexual (different-sex) spouses.

LGBTQ+ Pride Month developed from LGBTQ+ Pride Day, celebrated on the last Sunday in June. In 2000, U.S. President Bill Clinton proclaimed June Gay and Lesbian Pride Month. Likewise, every year from 2009 through 2016, President Barack Obama officially proclaimed June LGBTQ+ Pride Month. From 2017 to 2020, President Donald Trump did not issue such a proclamation. In 2021, President Joe Biden proclaimed June LGBTQ+ Pride Month.

June 10, 2019

If your birthday is in June, you can choose between three birthstones—the gems associated with the month of your birth: alexandrite, moonstone, or pearl. Alexandrite is a rare gem variety of the mineral chrysoberyl. The most highly valued alexandrite appears green like an emerald (May’s birthstone) in natural light, but looks red like a ruby (July’s birthstone) in artificial light. Moonstone is a whitish variety of the mineral feldspar. Light will shine through moonstone, but not so clearly as through glass. The pearl is one of the most valuable gems. Large, perfectly shaped pearls rank in value with the most precious stones.

Alexandrite appears green in natural light. Credit: © Shutterstock

Alexandrite was first discovered in the Ural Mountains of Russia in 1833. The stone was named after Alexander II, who later became the czar of Russia. Today, alexandrite is still mined in Russia. Other countries that produce alexandrite include Brazil, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Moonstone reflects light with a bluish or pearly-colored sheen that comes from inside the stone. Credit: © J. Palys, Shutterstock

Moonstones have a metallic or iridescent luster. This optical phenomenon, called adularescence or schiller, results from light reflecting off thin layers of feldspar. The name moonstone came from ancient legends that said the gems were created by beams of light from the moon. During a full moon, the gem was thought to have strong powers that attracted good fortune or love. Today, moonstones—many of which come from Sri Lanka—commonly decorate earrings and necklaces.

This photograph shows a pearl with a rosy hue inside an open oyster. Credit: © FoodPhotography/Getty Images

Pearls are different from other gems. Most gems are minerals that are mined from beneath the earth. But pearls are formed inside the shells of oysters. Oysters and other shell-forming mollusks make a special substance, called nacre or mother-of-pearl, that lines the insides of their shells. This smooth lining is called the nacreous layer, or pearly layer, and it is often lustrous. It is formed by a fleshy body organ called the mantle. When a foreign substance, such as a bit of shell or a tiny parasite, enters the body of the mollusk, the mantle begins to work. It covers the invading substance with thin sheets of nacre. It builds successive circular layers of nacre until the foreign body is enclosed in the shell-like substance, forming the pearl.

Pearls were treasured among many ancient cultures. The often white color of the “queen of gems” has long symbolized purity, but pearls can also be “black” (dark gray), cream, gold, orange, or pink. Round pearls, suitable for necklaces, are the most valuable. Next in value are the button-shaped and drop-shaped pearls. These are often used for earrings.

Until the 1940′s, the chief pearl-oyster beds were found in the Persian Gulf, near the island country of Bahrain. Other natural pearl-oyster beds were located in the South Pacific Ocean. Thousands of oysters had to be collected to produce even a small handful of pearls. For this reason, natural pearls were extraordinarily expensive. Today, few natural pearls are harvested for jewelry because the farming of cultured pearls produces pearls more cheaply. Cultured pearls are created by oysters planted in carefully selected oyster beds. People then “encourage” pearls to form (usually within about three years) by placing tiny pellets made of nacre or mussel shell inside the oyster shells.

According to tradition, a birthstone brings good luck to a person born in its month. Each birthstone also corresponds to a sign of the zodiac. The belief in birthstones may have come from a Bible story about Aaron, the first high priest of the Israelites. The story describes Aaron’s breastplate, which was decorated with 12 precious stones. Early writers linked these stones with the 12 months of the year and the 12 signs of the zodiac. The custom of wearing a stone that represented a person’s zodiac sign probably originated in Germany or Poland in the 1700′s.