June marks the 45th anniversary of the historic Stonewall Riots in New York City, an event that helped crystalize the modern-day LGBT rights movement as we know it. Pride Month is a chance to make visible the issues that the LGBT community still faces and to celebrate how far we've come.
In this spirit, we’ve partnered with MasterCard to show you how cities around the world are publicly showing their pride. Whether you’re in San Francisco or Sao Paulo, the message is abundantly clear: #AcceptanceMatters.
Minneapolis, Minn.
Flickr: Riley Lester
After Minnesota became the 12th state to legalize gay marriage, even the infrastructure showed the state's pride. The 1-35W bridge, which gained notoriety after collapsing in 2007, was lit up in beautiful neon rainbow lights.
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Image: FaceMePLS via Flickr
The Amsterdam Canal Parade is one of the main pillars of Pride celebrations. These flotillas are truly a sight within what's rightfully known as "the gay capital of Europe."
Sao Paulo, Brazil
In 2006, Guinness named the pride parade in Sao Paulo as the world's largest, and the city has held that coveted spot ever since. Over 3 million people participate in the event, up from 2,000 during the first march.
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Cleveland, Ohio
Organized in 1980, the international Gay Games celebrate LGBT athletes and allies. According to the official rules, the games are open to all athletes regardless of "sexual orientation, race, gender, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, political beliefs, athletic or artistic ability, age, physical challenge or health status." The games have been held in San Francisco, New York, Vancouver, Sydney, Amsterdam, Cologne and Chicago (pictured above), and Cleveland will be celebrating this August.
San Francisco, Calif.
San Francisco holds a slew of events for Pride Month, from the Trans March to the ongoing National Queer Arts Festival to performances by the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus. Fun fact: the now-ubiquitous rainbow flag you see during Pride was originally created by Gilbert Baker for the 1978 San Francisco Pride Parade.
Madrid, Spain
Image: barcex via Flickr
Madrid Pride puts the country's rich culture on display. The week of events and Pride Parade are held statewide, meaning that LGBT organizations all over Spain come together in a giant celebration. (And we mean giant -- 2 million people are expected at this year's parade, held on July 2.) Our personal favorite event? La Carrera de Tacones, a road race in which men scurry to the finish line in high heels.
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Dublin, Ireland
Image via Flickr.
Dublin Pride Run, a 5K sponsored by the LGBT-friendly Dublin Front Runners, is just one in a series of awesome events where Dubliners show their pride. Click here for other ways in which Dublin is participating in Pride.
Seattle, Wash.
Image: Brett Curtiss via Flickr
Not only has Seattle set the Guinness World Record for the largest drag show, it also has George Takei as the celebrity grand marshall of this year's Pride Parade.. Not too shabby for the rainy city! The 40th year of Seattle Pride is taking place this weekend, so be sure to check it out if you're in the area.
No matter where you are in the world, MasterCard is there for you. We'll say it again: #AcceptanceMatters.