Share on FacebookIn a moving video message, former President Barack Obama paid tribute to the LGBTQ+ community while reflecting on two major milestones: the recent Supreme Court decision protecting LGBTQ workers from job discrimination and the upcoming anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall Uprising.
The message, just under a minute long, was released as part of Logo’s Stonewall Day celebration and serves as a reminder of how protest and politics must work together to create lasting change.
“Protest and Politics Go Hand in Hand”
“We’re almost 51 years since the night when the patrons of the Stonewall Inn stood up for their rights,” Obama said. “Because of the movement they sparked and the decades of work that followed, marriage equality became the law of the land five years ago, and just this month, the Supreme Court ruled that employers can no longer discriminate against LGBTQ workers.”
Obama emphasized that progress doesn’t happen by accident—it’s the result of people taking a stand and turning protest into policy.
“The struggle and triumph for LGBTQ rights shows how protests and politics go hand in hand,” he added, “how we’ve got to both shine a light on injustice and translate those aspirations into specific laws and institutional practices.”
A Virtual Celebration With Purpose
The message comes ahead of Stonewall Day, Pride Live’s third annual celebration honoring LGBTQ+ history and resilience. This year’s event will stream live on June 26 via Logo’s Facebook and YouTube pages, hosted by trans advocate and model Geena Rocero.
The virtual lineup includes appearances from Taylor Swift, Ellen DeGeneres, Cynthia Erivo, Kesha, Demi Lovato, Hayley Kiyoko, and more. The event will raise money for LGBTQ+ organizations deeply affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, including Trans LifeLine, Brave Space Alliance, TransLatin@ Coalition, and the Ally Coalition.
Remembering Stonewall
The Stonewall Uprising began in the early hours of June 28, 1969, when patrons at a gay bar in New York City resisted a police raid. What followed was a series of protests that would spark the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement.
More than five decades later, that spirit of resistance and unity lives on—and Obama’s message is a reminder of how far we’ve come, and how much further there is to go.
