This June (and every June in the United States) is National LGBT+ Pride Month. This means plenty of parades and celebrations throughout the country and community.

While the internet has already taken off with celebratory memes and pictures from different pride events, there have also been other posts that are not as positive towards pride month. Posts ask "Why should there be a pride month?" and "Why is there no straight pride month?" among other questions.

So here is my answer.

Here is why pride month is important:

Pride demonstrations started in 1969 with the Stonewall Riots, in which members of the LGBT community in New York City violently protested against police brutality rooted in homophobia. This is considered the beginning of the gay liberation movement in the United States.

In 2015, same-sex marriage was legalized in all 50 states through the Supreme Court case Obergefell v. Hodges.

Pride month is mostly a celebration of the community's accomplishments over the years, however, it is also a celebration of the accomplishments that are to come.

With gay marriage being legal in 26 countries and homophobia being alive and well in the United States and abroad, there is still plenty of progress to be made — and this progress will be made.

Simply put, Pride Month is both a thank-you to those who brought so much progress to the LGBT community and a celebration of those who have so much progress to make.

Pride celebrates all kinds of love in the many faces of adversity faced by the gay community and it will continue to do so for many years to come.