16 photos that show the evolution of American gay pride celebrations over four decades

Getty ImagesAmerican cities and towns - big and small - are celebrating Pride month, which is meant to commemorate the 1969 Stonewall Riots.

Since then, LGBT rights have come a long way. The Supreme Court passed marriage equality. "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," was repealed. Oregon elected the nation's first openly bisexual governor. Cultural icons like Ellen DeGeneres, Caitlyn Jenner, and RuPaul Charles have started national conversations about what it means to be queer.

At the same time, many in the LGBT community worry that their rights could erode under the current White House. In late February, the Trump administration announced that it will rescind federal protections over transgender students. And in May, Trump signed an executive order that provides protections for organizations to claim religious exemptions, provisions that civil liberties groups say would allow for discrimination against LGBT Americans.

June 2017 also marks a year since the Pulse gay nightclub shooting, which killed 50 and injured 53 people in Orlando, Florida. This year, a number of Pride celebrations around the US are manifesting as parades, vigils, and protests.

Let's take a look at the history of Pride.