<p>US President Joe Biden on Friday designated the&nbsp;Pulse&nbsp;gay&nbsp;nightclub&nbsp;in Orlando, Florida, a national memorial, to honor the 49 people killed in a 2016 mass shooting.</p>

<p>"We'll never fully recover, but we'll remember," Biden said as he signed legislation establishing Florida's National&nbsp;Pulse&nbsp;Memorial, joined by survivors of the shooting and lawmakers who worked on the measure.</p>

<p>"May ... no president ever have to sign another monument like this."</p>

<p>A gunman stormed the popular venue, opening fire with an AR-15-style assault rifle and pistol in one of the most lethal modern mass shootings in the United States.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/chauvin-gets-22-12-years-in-prison-for-george-floyds-death-394037"><strong>Also Read |&nbsp;Chauvin gets 22 1/2 years in prison for George Floyd's death</strong></a></p>

<p>Biden, in a shift from his Republican predecessor, has sought to emphasize equality for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community, officially recognizing Pride Month with a June 1 proclamation and nominating LGBTQ officials to top U.S. government posts, among other actions.</p>

<p>The Democratic president has also pressed for full rights for LGBTQ+ Americans, including passage of the Equality Act in Congress, noting that protections are lacking in many U.S. states.</p>

<p>"Our presence this afternoon makes a very strong statement: Pride is back at the White House," Biden said, after being introduced by Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who is openly gay, and a young transgender man, Ashton Mota.</p>

<p>After signing the legislation, Biden noted that half of U.S. states do not have specific protections for LGBTQ+ Americans and their families. "We must protect the gains we've made," he said.</p>

<p>In Florida, authorities branded the 2016 shooting an act of Islamist extremism by a 29-year-old U.S. citizen of Afghan descent. But civil rights activists said the massacre was also a hate crime targeting gay men and Latinos frequenting the club.</p>

<p>The new Orlando site will join other memorials including the National AIDS Memorial Grove in San Francisco and New York City's Stonewall Inn, a national monument commemorating what is seen as the birthplace of the modern gay rights movement following riots after police raided the gay bar in 1969.</p>

<p>Biden has sought to reverse course from former President Donald Trump, who did not officially recognize Pride month.</p>

<p>He has ordered federal agencies to protect LGBTQ people under federal anti-discrimination laws. He also reversed a Trump-era ban on transgender people openly serving in the U.S. military and on flying rainbow Pride flags at U.S. embassies.</p>


US President Joe Biden on Friday designated the Pulse gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, a national memorial, to honor the 49 people killed in a 2016 mass shooting.

US President Joe Biden on Friday designated the Pulse gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, a national memorial, to honor the 49 people killed in a 2016 mass shooting. "We'll never fully recover, but we'll remember," Biden said as he signed legislation establishing Florida's National Pulse Memorial, joined by survivors of the shooting and lawmakers who worked on the measure. "May ... no president ever have to sign another monument like this." A gunman stormed the popular venue, opening fire with an AR-15-style assault rifle and pistol in one of the most lethal modern mass shootings in the United States. Also Read | Chauvin gets 22 1/2 years in prison for George Floyd's death Biden, in a shift from his Republican predecessor, has sought to emphasize equality for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community, officially recognizing Pride Month with a June 1 proclamation and nominating LGBTQ officials to top U.S. government posts, among other actions. The Democratic president has also pressed for full rights for LGBTQ+ Americans, including passage of the Equality Act in Congress, noting that protections are lacking in many U.S. states. "Our presence this afternoon makes a very strong statement: Pride is back at the White House," Biden said, after being introduced by Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who is openly gay, and a young transgender man, Ashton Mota. After signing the legislation, Biden noted that half of U.S. states do not have specific protections for LGBTQ+ Americans and their families. "We must protect the gains we've made," he said. In Florida, authorities branded the 2016 shooting an act of Islamist extremism by a 29-year-old U.S. citizen of Afghan descent. But civil rights activists said the massacre was also a hate crime targeting gay men and Latinos frequenting the club. The new Orlando site will join other memorials including the National AIDS Memorial Grove in San Francisco and New York City's Stonewall Inn, a national monument commemorating what is seen as the birthplace of the modern gay rights movement following riots after police raided the gay bar in 1969. Biden has sought to reverse course from former President Donald Trump, who did not officially recognize Pride month. He has ordered federal agencies to protect LGBTQ people under federal anti-discrimination laws. He also reversed a Trump-era ban on transgender people openly serving in the U.S. military and on flying rainbow Pride flags at U.S. embassies.

'Pride is back at the White House,' Biden says, signing Pulse nightclub bill

Thousands take part in Poland's Pride march

Exist, persist, resist: Global pride complements Black Lives Matter movement

<p>The world came to a standstill as coronavirus took over the world. Nearly all events have been cancelled or deferred indefinitely. However, some of them have taken an alternative approach and shifted online.</p>

<p>Pride month, too, has decided to show support through online platforms.</p>

<p>According to a list released by the European Pride Organizers Association, at least 500 Pride events have been cancelled globally due to the pandemic. However, Global Pride 2020, through Twitter, announced&nbsp;Global Pride event on June 27 with various leaders and celebrities coming together online to celebrate the LGBTQ community.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">We are excited to announce details of our Global Pride event on June 27th with World Leaders and Grammy Award Winners among the first contributors to be revealed.<br />
<br />
Check out our website for all the exciting details. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GlobalPride?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GlobalPride</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ExistPersistResist?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ExistPersistResist</a><a href="https://t.co/reft70WRLi">https://t.co/reft70WRLi</a> <a href="https://t.co/PnPG5Spf0v">pic.twitter.com/PnPG5Spf0v</a></p>
— Global Pride 2020 (@GlobalPride2020) <a href="https://twitter.com/GlobalPride2020/status/1266655721573228544?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 30, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>From dance parties to fun challenges and workshops, the organisation is putting together an online&nbsp;celebration, and has asked people to come ahead and submit their best content for the programme. "We want submissions that truly reflect the incredible diversity of the LGBTI+ community around the world. Submissions are welcome in any language," Global Pride 2020 tweeted.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Tomorrow is the last day to submit content for Global Pride 2020!<br />
<br />
We want submissions that truly reflect the incredible diversity of the LGBTI+ community around the world. Submissions are welcome in any language.<br />
<br />
To learn more visit <a href="https://t.co/dEgRkn22Bx">https://t.co/dEgRkn22Bx</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GlobalPride?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GlobalPride</a> <a href="https://t.co/eV0BHHpZuv">pic.twitter.com/eV0BHHpZuv</a></p>
— Global Pride 2020 (@GlobalPride2020) <a href="https://twitter.com/GlobalPride2020/status/1268467596288016385?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 4, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>In the US, considering the spread of coronavirus and the ongoing protests against the<a href="Four cops charged in Floyd death, one faces 2nd-degree murder count homicide"> killing of George Floyd</a>, New York, Washington, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle are&nbsp;holding events online, instead of cancelling the events completely.</p>

<p>The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is launching online resources for celebrating the month. They are planning in bring in customised backgrounds, face masks and other such gears for video calls and pictures.</p>

<p>“What we’re doing is trying to make sure people who are celebrating at home still have the resources that they need to make it feel like it’s pride,” said Elizabeth Bibi, senior advisor for communications at the Human Rights Campaign told a local news agency.</p>


The world came to a standstill as coronavirus took over the world. Nearly all events have been cancelled or deferred indefinitely. However, some of them have taken an alternative approach and shifted online.

The world came to a standstill as coronavirus took over the world. Nearly all events have been cancelled or deferred indefinitely. However, some of them have taken an alternative approach and shifted online. Pride month, too, has decided to show support through online platforms. According to a list released by the European Pride Organizers Association, at least 500 Pride events have been cancelled globally due to the pandemic. However, Global Pride 2020, through Twitter, announced Global Pride event on June 27 with various leaders and celebrities coming together online to celebrate the LGBTQ community. We are excited to announce details of our Global Pride event on June 27th with World Leaders and Grammy Award Winners among the first contributors to be revealed. Check out our website for all the exciting details. #GlobalPride #ExistPersistResisthttps://t.co/reft70WRLi pic.twitter.com/PnPG5Spf0v — Global Pride 2020 (@GlobalPride2020) May 30, 2020 × From dance parties to fun challenges and workshops, the organisation is putting together an online celebration, and has asked people to come ahead and submit their best content for the programme. "We want submissions that truly reflect the incredible diversity of the LGBTI+ community around the world. Submissions are welcome in any language," Global Pride 2020 tweeted. Tomorrow is the last day to submit content for Global Pride 2020! We want submissions that truly reflect the incredible diversity of the LGBTI+ community around the world. Submissions are welcome in any language. To learn more visit https://t.co/dEgRkn22Bx #GlobalPride pic.twitter.com/eV0BHHpZuv — Global Pride 2020 (@GlobalPride2020) June 4, 2020 × In the US, considering the spread of coronavirus and the ongoing protests against the killing of George Floyd, New York, Washington, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle are holding events online, instead of cancelling the events completely. The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is launching online resources for celebrating the month. They are planning in bring in customised backgrounds, face masks and other such gears for video calls and pictures. “What we’re doing is trying to make sure people who are celebrating at home still have the resources that they need to make it feel like it’s pride,” said Elizabeth Bibi, senior advisor for communications at the Human Rights Campaign told a local news agency.

Far but virtually connected: Pride month shifts online amid COVID 19

<p>Pride&nbsp;was celebrated differently across North America, with&nbsp;the East coast taking&nbsp;on a more political tone and the&nbsp;West making it more of&nbsp;a party, Reuters reports. No doubt each city contained mixes of each, but perhaps the strains were detectable.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The political backlash&nbsp;concerned Trump, who&nbsp;promised during the election to protect gay people. But his move in February to revoke the Obama administration&#39;s guidance letting transgender students choose which gender bathroom they use, and his executive order last month to promote religious liberty have been seen by some as discriminatory.</p>

<p>Chelsea Manning, the transgender&nbsp;US&nbsp;Army soldier who served seven years in prison for leaking classified data before former President Barack Obama granted her clemency, attended Pride in New York.</p>

<p>Manning, was released from a military prison in May.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">honored to represent the <a href="https://twitter.com/ACLU">@aclu</a> at this years <a href="https://twitter.com/NYCPrideMarch">@NYCPrideMarch</a> ???????? lost my voice from screaming so much ?? thank you ??<a href="https://t.co/qZIBuyrNRq">https://t.co/qZIBuyrNRq</a> <a href="https://t.co/3C6xVZQquV">pic.twitter.com/3C6xVZQquV</a></p>
&mdash; Chelsea E. Manning (@xychelsea) <a href="https://twitter.com/xychelsea/status/879052588125212672">June 25, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>A group of marchers heading down New York&#39;s Fifth Avenue carried photographs of US&nbsp;President Donald Trump and his press secretary, Sean Spicer, as others waved banners bearing the word &quot;RESIST&quot;&nbsp;and the rainbow flag of the Pride movement.</p>

<p>Brad Hoylman, a Democratic lawmaker in the New York State Senate, told Reuters that&nbsp;lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people were &quot;under assault&quot; by the Trump administration. &quot;He already rolled back rights for transgender students, for example, and the list is on and on,&quot; he said. &quot;So we have a lot more work to do, that&#39;s why we are here today.&quot;</p>

<p>NYC&nbsp;march&#39;s grand marshals this year include the American Civil Liberties Union, which was chosen for its history of litigation defending gay rights; Brooke Guinan, a transgender woman who works as a firefighter in the city; and Geng Le, a gay rights activist in China.</p>

<p>&quot;Pride this year is showing that we are here, we are queer, and we are not going to sit down for anything less than full rights, full equality,&quot; said Austin Anderson, a 28-year-old advertising worker who attended &nbsp;the New York march.</p>

<p>The march route ends on Christopher Street in Manhattan&#39;s West Village to commemorate the riots that broke out there in 1969 after police raided the<a href="http://www.wionews.com/life-fun/new-york-lgbt-bar-becomes-first-us-monument-to-gay-rights-1146" target="_blank"> Stonewall Inn</a>, a gay bar, in an event seen as a turning point in the gay rights movement. New York&#39;s first Pride march started near&nbsp;by the following year.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>San Fran</strong></p>

<p>San Francisco had a few anti-Trump signs too, but the theme of the day was letting loose. &quot;It&#39;s too good a day to be upset about Trump,&quot; said Richard Babb, 66, of San Francisco to Reuters.</p>

<p>Revelers had to pass through one of dozens of metal security detectors to get into the main plaza. &quot;Happy Pride everyone!&quot; a security monitor yelled to the crowd, as people cheered and saluted. &quot;Have fun today.&quot;</p>

<p>Two gay cousins attended the parade dressed in tutus and unicorn headbands. &quot;We see this as a party, not a political protest,&quot; Qiaira McPeters, 18, said. Despite that, McPeters said that she feels things for gay people have been getting worse. &quot;Gay people are getting beat up all the time,&quot; she said.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Toronto, Canada</strong></p>

<p>The city known as &quot;TO&quot; had thousands of revellers take to the streets. Toronto Pride has recently become a more&nbsp;political affair, with Black Lives Matter (BLM) insisting in 2016&nbsp;that uniformed police officers&nbsp;no longer have their customary&nbsp;float or booths in future Pride&nbsp;parades. BLM&nbsp;shut down last year&#39;s parade until the demands&nbsp;were&nbsp;agreed to, which they&nbsp;eventually&nbsp;were.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Black queer lives matter <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Pride2017?src=hash">#Pride2017</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/prideto?src=hash">#prideto</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BlackPride?src=hash">#BlackPride</a> <a href="https://t.co/qY6LsWGV0t">pic.twitter.com/qY6LsWGV0t</a></p>
&mdash; BlackLivesMatter TO (@BLM_TO) <a href="https://twitter.com/BLM_TO/status/879094064620109825">June 25, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>It&#39;s been a hot point of contention. Members of&nbsp;BLM Toronto argued that allowing uniformed officers at the parade could discourage marginalised communities from attending, according to The Toronto Star. Toronto&#39;s BLM has inspired NYC&#39;s chapter of BLM, who made the same demand yesterday, <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/black-lives-matter-toronto-pride-2017-1.4177554" target="_blank">CBC </a>reports.</p>

<p>But political inclusion was on display too, as the event was attended by the city&#39;s mayor, the province&#39;s premier, and the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Love is love. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PrideTO?src=hash">#PrideTO</a> <a href="https://t.co/z2No7rdchZ">pic.twitter.com/z2No7rdchZ</a></p>
&mdash; Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) <a href="https://twitter.com/JustinTrudeau/status/879093265101926400">June 25, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Many at Toronto Pride simply let loose and partied.</p>

<p>&quot;The March seemed very safe, fun, lots of dancing in the streets and drag queens and crowds,&quot; Toronto photographer&nbsp;Becca Lemire told WION.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

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<p>March participants carry a massive Pride flag through the streets of downtown Toronto. Photo source: Becca Lemire photography. (Others)</p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Seattle</strong></p>

<p>Seattle Mayor Ed Murray, the first openly gay person to hold that job, joined the parade with his husband, Michael Shiosaki. &quot;Today we celebrate our unity,&quot; he said in a video posted on Twitter.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Mayor Ed Murray and husband Michael Shiosaki marching, shaking hands with parade attendees <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PrideParade2017?src=hash">#PrideParade2017</a> <a href="https://t.co/6VeWgZtvfi">pic.twitter.com/6VeWgZtvfi</a></p>
&mdash; Paige Gross (@By_paigegross) <a href="https://twitter.com/By_paigegross/status/879049493366284288">June 25, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Hundreds of people marched in&nbsp;downtown Seattle in unusually hot weather, many in skimpy outfits and carrying pink balloons. A rainbow flag was hoisted to the top of the city&#39;s iconic Space Needle.</p>

<p>The Seattle Police Department, which put rainbow-colored decals on their patrol cars, said a group of people blocked the parade route for about 30 minutes to hold a sit-in in honor of Charleena Lyles, the black mother slain by city police a week ago. There were no arrests, police said.</p>

<p>(With inputs from agencies)</p>


From anti-Trump and anti-police themes to just straight up parties, this is how the US and Canada celebrated Pride

Pride was celebrated differently across North America, with the East coast taking on a more political tone and the West making it more of a party, Reuters reports. No doubt each city contained mixes of each, but perhaps the strains were detectable. The political backlash concerned Trump, who promised during the election to protect gay people. But his move in February to revoke the Obama administration's guidance letting transgender students choose which gender bathroom they use, and his executive order last month to promote religious liberty have been seen by some as discriminatory. Chelsea Manning, the transgender US Army soldier who served seven years in prison for leaking classified data before former President Barack Obama granted her clemency, attended Pride in New York. Manning, was released from a military prison in May. honored to represent the @aclu at this years @NYCPrideMarch ???????? lost my voice from screaming so much ?? thank you ??https://t.co/qZIBuyrNRq pic.twitter.com/3C6xVZQquV — Chelsea E. Manning (@xychelsea) June 25, 2017 × A group of marchers heading down New York's Fifth Avenue carried photographs of US President Donald Trump and his press secretary, Sean Spicer, as others waved banners bearing the word "RESIST" and the rainbow flag of the Pride movement. Brad Hoylman, a Democratic lawmaker in the New York State Senate, told Reuters that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people were "under assault" by the Trump administration. "He already rolled back rights for transgender students, for example, and the list is on and on," he said. "So we have a lot more work to do, that's why we are here today." NYC march's grand marshals this year include the American Civil Liberties Union, which was chosen for its history of litigation defending gay rights; Brooke Guinan, a transgender woman who works as a firefighter in the city; and Geng Le, a gay rights activist in China. "Pride this year is showing that we are here, we are queer, and we are not going to sit down for anything less than full rights, full equality," said Austin Anderson, a 28-year-old advertising worker who attended the New York march. The march route ends on Christopher Street in Manhattan's West Village to commemorate the riots that broke out there in 1969 after police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar, in an event seen as a turning point in the gay rights movement. New York's first Pride march started near by the following year. San Fran San Francisco had a few anti-Trump signs too, but the theme of the day was letting loose. "It's too good a day to be upset about Trump," said Richard Babb, 66, of San Francisco to Reuters. Revelers had to pass through one of dozens of metal security detectors to get into the main plaza. "Happy Pride everyone!" a security monitor yelled to the crowd, as people cheered and saluted. "Have fun today." Two gay cousins attended the parade dressed in tutus and unicorn headbands. "We see this as a party, not a political protest," Qiaira McPeters, 18, said. Despite that, McPeters said that she feels things for gay people have been getting worse. "Gay people are getting beat up all the time," she said. Toronto, Canada The city known as "TO" had thousands of revellers take to the streets. Toronto Pride has recently become a more political affair, with Black Lives Matter (BLM) insisting in 2016 that uniformed police officers no longer have their customary float or booths in future Pride parades. BLM shut down last year's parade until the demands were agreed to, which they eventually were. Black queer lives matter #Pride2017 #prideto #BlackPride pic.twitter.com/qY6LsWGV0t — BlackLivesMatter TO (@BLM_TO) June 25, 2017 × It's been a hot point of contention. Members of BLM Toronto argued that allowing uniformed officers at the parade could discourage marginalised communities from attending, according to The Toronto Star. Toronto's BLM has inspired NYC's chapter of BLM, who made the same demand yesterday, CBC reports. But political inclusion was on display too, as the event was attended by the city's mayor, the province's premier, and the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Love is love. #PrideTO pic.twitter.com/z2No7rdchZ — Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) June 25, 2017 × Many at Toronto Pride simply let loose and partied. "The March seemed very safe, fun, lots of dancing in the streets and drag queens and crowds," Toronto photographer Becca Lemire told WION. March participants carry a massive Pride flag through the streets of downtown Toronto. Photo source: Becca Lemire photography. (Others) × Seattle Seattle Mayor Ed Murray, the first openly gay person to hold that job, joined the parade with his husband, Michael Shiosaki. "Today we celebrate our unity," he said in a video posted on Twitter. Mayor Ed Murray and husband Michael Shiosaki marching, shaking hands with parade attendees #PrideParade2017 pic.twitter.com/6VeWgZtvfi — Paige Gross (@By_paigegross) June 25, 2017 × Hundreds of people marched in downtown Seattle in unusually hot weather, many in skimpy outfits and carrying pink balloons. A rainbow flag was hoisted to the top of the city's iconic Space Needle. The Seattle Police Department, which put rainbow-colored decals on their patrol cars, said a group of people blocked the parade route for about 30 minutes to hold a sit-in in honor of Charleena Lyles, the black mother slain by city police a week ago. There were no arrests, police said. (With inputs from agencies)

Trump denounced, Trudeau marched: Pride celebrations across North America

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