American entertainer RuPaul Andre Charles
Credit: © DFree/Shutterstock

June is LGBTQ+ Pride Month. All month long, Behind the Headlines will feature lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer or questioning pioneers in a variety of areas.

RuPaul is an American actor, author, and entertainer. RuPaul is best known as a drag queen (cross-dressing performer) and host of the reality competition television series “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” which began in 2009.

RuPaul Andre Charles was born Nov. 17, 1960, in San Diego, California. As a teenager, RuPaul moved to Atlanta, Georgia, with his sister. There, he first started performing in what he called “terror drag,” a style that incorporates combat boots, hairy legs, and unkempt wigs. He also started performing in a few different bands, including RuPaul and the U-Hauls and The Now Explosion. RuPaul made several low-budget motion pictures, including a blaxploitation film in which he played the lead character. Blaxploitation films, made popular in the 1970’s, feature Black characters and outrageous plots and action.

RuPaul moved to New York City in the late 1980’s. During that time, he adopted a more glamorous drag style with high heels, styled hair, and make-up. After a few years of performing in nightclubs and working as a reporter for a cable show, RuPaul found international fame with his 1993 pop song “Supermodel (You Better Work).” As an actor, RuPaul made cameo appearances in films like The Brady Bunch Movie (1995) and To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar (1995). On TV, he made cameo appearances on shows like “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” (1996-2003) and “Walker, Texas Ranger.” (1993-2001). Out of drag, he acted in the television movie A Mother’s Prayer (1995) and in the feature film …But I’m A Cheerleader (1999).

In 1995, RuPaul became a spokesmodel for MAC cosmetics and chaired the company’s charitable AIDS fund. He hosted his own talk show in 1996, “The RuPaul Show”, but it was canceled in 1998. In 2004, RuPaul released the album Red Hot, which was followed up with Champion in 2009. His later albums include Glamazon (2011), Born Naked (2014), Butch Queen (2016), and American (2017).

In 2009, RuPaul began hosting the reality competition show “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” Each season follows a group of drag queens as they compete to become “America’s next drag superstar.”  In each episode, contestants compete in various drag-related tasks—such as singing, dancing, sewing, and acting—and then show off different themed looks on a runway. After receiving critiques from RuPaul and a panel of judges, two contestants are selected to lip sync. Lip sync is a style of performance in which people move their lips in time to recorded music. The contestant who performs worse is eliminated from the competition. “Drag Race” has won more than 20 Emmy awards, including outstanding competition program and outstanding host for a reality or competition program for RuPaul.

“Drag Race” has been spun off into international versions, including series in the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Spain, Canada, the Netherlands, Thailand, Chile, and the Philippines. Drag queens in Australia and New Zealand compete on a combination show called “Drag Race Down Under.” The American original has a spin-off called “RuPaul’s Drag Race: All Stars.” In this version, previously eliminated queens return to compete again.

In 2020, RuPaul created and starred in the Netflix show “AJ and The Queen,” a comedy about a down-on-her-luck drag queen traveling across the United States. The show ran for one season and featured many performers who had appeared on “Drag Race.”

Queen is a British rock band that gained international fame in the 1970′s. The original group members were, from left to right, Freddie Mercury, John Deacon, Roger Taylor, and Brian May. This photo shows the group performing at the Montreux Golden Rose Pop Festival in Switzerland.
Credit: © Trinity Mirror/Mirrorpix/Alamy Images

June is LGBTQ+ Pride Month. All month long, Behind the Headlines will feature lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer or questioning pioneers in a variety of areas.

Halftime shows, cheers, and marching bands are well-known staples of sporting events. While fans cheer for their teams and order hot dogs from their seats, they will sing such classic songs as “We Will Rock You” and “We Are the Champions.”

These sporting-event anthems were recorded by the rock group Queen, which gained popularity in the 1970’s and 1980’s. Leading this band—just as a captain leads a sports team—was the British rock singer, songwriter, and musician Freddie Mercury (1946-1991). He was known for his soaring, operatic vocals and theatrical stage presence.

British musician Freddie Mercury
Credit: © Phil Dent, Getty Images

Mercury was born on Sept. 5, 1946, in Zanzibar, to Parsi parents from India. His real name was Farrokh Bulsara. He was given the nickname Freddie while attending a British boarding school. Around this time, he began taking piano lessons. He later played in rock and roll bands. In 1964, Bulsara’s family moved to Middlesex, England.

In the late 1960′s, Bulsara attended Ealing Art College in London. Around this time, he befriended several musicians in a local band called Smile. They were lead singer and bassist Tim Staffell, guitarist Brian May, and drummer Roger Taylor. Inspired by the group, Bulsara began singing and playing piano with several rock groups. He joined Smile as lead singer after Staffell left the group. In 1970, encouraged by Bulsara, the group changed its name to Queen. Soon after, Bulsara changed his last name to Mercury. Bassist John Deacon joined the group in 1971.

The group’s first album, Queen, was released in 1973. The albums Queen II and Sheer Heart Attack were released in 1974. The group’s third album, A Night at the Opera (1975) was a breakthrough for the group. It featured the huge hit “Bohemian Rhapsody,” written by Mercury. It has been called one of the greatest songs in rock and popular music. The song is a six-minute musical suite, containing several movements, including a piano ballad section; a layered, operatic vocal passage; and a charging, hard rock segment. A groundbreaking promotional music video accompanied the song’s release. Years before the era of MTV, when music videos became commonplace, Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” video greatly added to the song’s popularity.

Queen combined hard rock and flamboyant (showy) “glam” rock with layered guitars and intricate vocal harmonies. Queen’s many hits include “Bicycle Race” (1978); “Don’t Stop Me Now,” “Killer Queen,” and “You’re My Best Friend” (all 1979); “Another One Bites the Dust” and “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” (both 1980); “Somebody to Love” (1981); “Under Pressure” (with the British singer David Bowie, 1981); and “I Want to Break Free” and “Radio Ga Ga” (both 1984).

Mercury also performed as a solo artist. He recorded the albums Mr. Bad Guy (1985) and Barcelona (1988). He also recorded a number of singles, including “Time” (1986) and “The Great Pretender” (1987).

Mercury died of complications from AIDS on Nov. 24, 1991. Queen was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001.

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 28, 2019

Today, June 28, is the 50th anniversary of the beginning of the Stonewall uprising, which took place in New York City in late June and early July 1969. The uprising consisted of a series of demonstrations for gay rights. A police raid at the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in the Greenwich Village neighborhood, triggered the uprising. 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 event in the modern gay rights movement. The movement later came to be called the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights movement.

The Stonewall National Monument was dedicated on June 27, 2016. Credit: U.S. Department of the Interior

A number of commemorations and exhibitions are marking the Stonewall uprising’s 50th anniversary. In New York City, the world’s largest gay pride march, WorldPride NYC, is sharing its billing with “Stonewall50.” Events include a rally at the Stonewall Inn and walking tours of Greenwich Village led by the NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project. New York University’s Grey Art Gallery, the Leslie-Lohman Museum, the Museum of the City of New York, the New York Historical Society, the New York Public Library, and the Brooklyn Museum are all hosting Stonewall Inn-themed exhibitions. Stonewall uprising events are also being celebrated at museums and LGBT pride events in Boston, Chicago, Houston, San Francisco, and other cities.

The rainbow flag has represented the gay community since 1978. Credit: © Natasha Kramskaya, Shutterstock

In the early morning of June 28, 1969, police officers entered the Stonewall Inn. The bar was a gathering place, especially for gay men and male cross-dressers. Cross-dressers are people who wear the clothing and take on the appearance of a different gender. Most gay bars in the United States at this time were often raided by police officers enforcing immoral conduct laws. Such laws punish behavior that a society considers to be indecent. In addition, many of the gay bars in American cities, including the Stonewall Inn, were owned by or had ties to organized crime.

However, on June 28, the officers closed the Stonewall Inn on the basis of an improper license to sell alcohol. Some patrons in the bar were arrested. Others resisted arrest. A number of patrons gathered outside and began a small protest against the police action. Some patrons and other people on the street claimed that the police were abusing patrons. The crowd grew larger as more people gathered to watch the police activity. Some people threw coins, rocks, and other items at the police.

A riot began as a portion of the Stonewall Inn was set on fire. Many members of the crowd chanted “gay power,” and some people destroyed nearby property. It took several hours for the police to end the riot. However, violent protests erupted around the Stonewall Inn for the next few 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, the gay rights movement grew in numbers and strength. Gay rights activists created new organizations and developed political strategies still used today. The anniversary of the Stonewall uprising is commemorated every summer as part of gay pride celebrations in the United States. 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, making it the first official National Park Service monument to honor the LGBT equality movement. For more on the Stonewall uprising, see the biography of Marsha P. Johnson, an African American LGBT rights activist.

In the United States, June is celebrated as LGBT Pride Month. Throughout June, cities across the nation host concerts, festivals, colorful parades, parties, and other events that honor the identity, contributions, and historical impact of LGBT people.

June 26, 2018

Forty years ago this month, in June 1978, members of the Gay Community Center in San Francisco wanted a flag to fly above the California city’s Gay Freedom Day Parade (now a celebration simply called “Pride”). A group of local artists then created the rainbow flag, which would become the international symbol for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights. Transgender individuals are those whose identity or self-expression does not match the gender assigned to them at birth. June is LGBT Pride Month in the United States, and cities across the nation host concerts, festivals, colorful parades, parties, and other events that honor the identity, contributions, and historical impact of LGBT 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 was created for San Francisco’s Gay Freedom Day Parade 40 years ago in June 1978. Credit: © Natasha Kramskaya, Shutterstock

Before 1978, there was no official symbol for LGBT rights. Community organizers in San Francisco wanted something new, something bright and colorful that symbolized diversity, hope, and inclusion. LGBT artist and activist Gilbert Baker—remembered as the “gay Betsy Ross”—is credited with the idea and design for the rainbow flag. Baker worked with seamster James McNamara, tie-dye artist Lynn Segerblom, and a host of other artists and volunteers to create two massive 30 feet-by-60 feet (9 meters-by-18 meters) flags that flew above San Francisco’s United Nations Plaza during the June 1978 Gay Freedom Day Parade. One rainbow flag was much like the version of today. The other version included the star-spangled blue field found on the U.S. flag. The original rainbow flag had eight colored stripes. The six stripes on today’s rainbow flag are (from top to bottom) red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet—just as a natural rainbow’s color spectrum appears in the sky. Variations of the flag are used to suit certain causes, cities, or countries.

An activist for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights waves a rainbow flag in front of the Supreme Court Building in Washington, D.C. Credit: © AP Photo

LGBT Pride Month developed from LGBT Pride Day, which was celebrated on the last Sunday in June. In June 2000, U.S. President Bill Clinton proclaimed the first Gay and Lesbian Pride Month. George W. Bush skipped the proclamations while he was president, but every year from 2009 through 2016, President Barack Obama officially proclaimed June Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month. Donald Trump has issued no such proclamations since becoming president in 2017.

June 30, 2016

The Stonewall National Monument is dedicated in New York City on June 27, 2016.
Credit: U.S. Department of the Interior

Today, June 30, is the last day of LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) Pride Month in the United States. U.S. President Barack Obama has proclaimed June to be LGBT Pride Month in every year of his presidency. In his final Pride Month proclamation on May 31, the president urged Americans to eliminate prejudice and celebrate diversity. Recalling last year’s landmark decision by the Supreme Court of the United States guaranteeing marriage equality in all 50 states, Obama said, “for every partnership that was not previously recognized under the law and for every American who was denied their basic civil rights, this monumental ruling instilled newfound hope, affirming the belief that we are all more free when we are treated as equals.”

On June 24, President Obama capped eight years of promoting LGBT rights by designating New York City’s landmark gay bar the Stonewall Inn as part of the Stonewall National Monument—the first National Park Service monument to honor the LGBT equality movement. The monument also includes Christopher Park, a historic community park at the intersection of Christopher Street, West 4th Street, and Grove Street across from the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village. The monument area was the site of a series of demonstrations for gay rights that took place in late June and early July 1969. The demonstrations followed a raid at the inn as police sought to enforce a law prohibiting the sale of alcoholic beverages to homosexuals. The demonstrations evolved into a series of riots that lasted, on and off, for several days. The anniversary of the Stonewall uprising is commemorated every summer as part of gay pride celebrations in the United States.

“Stonewall will be our first national monument to tell the story of the struggle for LGBT rights,” President Obama said. “I believe our national parks should reflect the full story of our country, the richness and diversity and uniquely American spirit that has always defined us. That we are stronger together. That out of many, we are one.”

Earlier this month, on June 12, the Stonewall was also the site of a gathering of LGBT people and their supporters who came to mourn the deaths of 49 people killed by a gunman at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida—the deadliest mass shooting in United States history. The White House, in its announcement about the Stonewall monument, referred to the Orlando shooting, stating, “Although the LGBT civil rights movement has made significant progress in the pursuit of equal rights and protections under the law, there is still more work to do. As seen two weeks ago in Orlando, Florida, LGBT Americans continue to face acts of violence, discrimination, and hate. LGBT people of color are especially at risk. The administration is committed to continuing the fight for dignity, acceptance and equal rights for all Americans—no matter who they are or who they love.”

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