The month is meant to celebrate the LGBTQ2 community, which includes individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and two-spirit as well as a range of other gender and sexual identities.

Pride month is held annually in honour of the Stonewall riots, which took place in New York City in June 1969. At the time, an LGBTQ2-friendly establishment known as the Stonewall Inn was the site of several police raids targeting LGBTQ2 individuals. This led to a series of riots that were held outside the Stonewall Inn and intensified the fight for equal rights for the LGBTQ2 community.