Pride Month: Taking Strides Forward
Celebrating Progress and Promoting Inclusion in the Endurance World
June is recognized and celebrated as Pride Month in countries and locations all over the world. The origins of Pride Month date back only 55 years (exactly 55 years ago today, actually), to the Stonewall Riots that took place in New York City in 1969. The Stonewall Riots were a response by members of the LGBTQIA+ community and allies to the police raid that happened early on June 28th at the Stonewall Inn, a gay club located in Greenwich Village. America’s first pride parade took place exactly one year after the raid, on June 28th, 1970.
Our society has come a long way in terms of LGBTQIA+ rights in the last 55 years, but unfortunately, discrimination still exists today, including in the endurance world. A survey taken by Runner’s World in 2021 found that many queer runners are afraid to join a local run club or even go on a group run for fear of being alienated or not feeling represented in the group. Only 40% of LGBTQIA+ runners surveyed said that they felt welcomed and included in the running community. The survey also found that "a stereotypical image of what it means to be a runner—thin, white, and cisgender—was a theme mentioned frequently in the responses to open-ended questions… Creating visibility for runners who don’t fit the stereotype is absolutely key.”
At Always Advancing, we are committed to making the endurance community more inclusive and increasing visibility and representation for members of the LGBTQIA+ community. We believe everyone should feel proud of who they are and be able to love who they love without fear of discrimination. We are honored to be able to work with organizations who support LGBTQIA+ movements every year. Below are some of the awesome events we created medals and other products for this year!
- Capital City Pride Stride 5k
- Newfoundland Pride Run
- The Big Gay 5K Key West
- New Orleans Pride Run & Walk
- Canada Running Series Pride & Remembrance Run
- Proud to Run Pride Race by Front Runners Chicago
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