Pride Month comes to a close with worldwide celebrations and a challenging year for LGBTQ+ rights

By James Powel

USA TODAY

As Pride Month draws to a close on Sunday, cities across the globe celebrated with blowout parades, commemorating the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in New York City, widely considered the catalyst for the Gay Rights movement in the US.

"Pride Month honors the commemorates the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in New York City, which is cited as the start of the Gay Rights movement in the United States."

The LGBTQ+ community and its allies participated in these joyous events, which coincide with a challenging year for queer rights, amid rising cultural hate and political opposition.

Major US cities like New York, San Francisco, and Chicago hosted parades on Sunday, joining international cities like Madrid, London, and Sao Paulo, which held their main events on Saturday.

Below are some visually stunning and powerful photos from Pride parades around the world:

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