Pride Month, celebrated every June, honors the LGBTQIA+ community and commemorates the Stonewall Riots of 1969. This pivotal event marked the beginning of the modern LGBTQIA+ rights movement.

The first Pride march took place in New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago on June 28, 1970, to mark the anniversary of the Stonewall uprising. Over the years, Pride has grown into a global celebration of diversity, love, and acceptance.

Today, Pride Month is marked by parades, picnics, parties, workshops, symposia, and concerts, attracting millions of participants around the world. All of this serves as a reminder of the ongoing fight for equality and the achievements of the LGBTQIA+ community.

If you are interested in the rich and long history of Pride and LGBTQIA+ rights, stop by the library for some great recommendations. You can find everything from the Lavender Scare of the 1950s, to the Daughters of Bilitis in 1955, to Harvey Milk’s election in 1977, and so much more.

Color Our World summer program

Pride is all about love, color, and expression, which is why I’m so excited to tell you more about our Summer Library Program theme this year: Color Our World!

This summer, our Grand County Library District invites you to embark on a journey of creativity, curiosity, and community engagement with our Summer Library Program. Designed to encourage reading, exploration, and artistic expression, every branch offers a variety of events and programs for all ages.

Sign up officially began on June 1 and anyone and everyone can participate. There are prizes for every age group, so don’t be shy. Bring yourself, your kids, nieces and nephews, cousins, brothers, sisters, grandparents, and that one strange aunt twice removed.

June library events

Bring tons of color into your world with Granby Library’s Tie-Dye program Wednesday, June 18, at 2 p.m.

Join Fraser Valley Library’s Mountain Hiking Safety presentation put on by the Colorado Mountain Club on Saturday, June 21, at 1 p.m.

Kids can attend the Hot Sulphur Springs Library Pokémon Club on Friday, June 20.

On Saturday, June 28, Juniper Library in Grand Lake is having their adult travel talk. The topic? New Zealand!

And last, but certainly not least, the Kremmling Library has Living Color creating everyday floral arrangements on Monday, June 23.

Every branch will also have amazing performers come to celebrate a Story Creations’ show titled “Art Theft: A Dog Comedy,” starring Joey and Kira, Denise Gard’s famous border collies, Dinosaur O’Dell’s “The Geography of Planet Earth,” and Rocky Mountain Puppets’ “Prism Break.”

I encourage you, dear reader, to check out the Grand County Library District calendar at GCLD.org to see exactly when these amazing performers will be at your closest library.

The fun doesn’t stop this summer at the library district. Sign up for the Summer Library Program, join us for an amazing summer, and participate in Color Our World with expression and joy.

Happy Pride everyone!