National Geographic | Pride Month

National Geographic

CELEBRATING PRIDE

To mark Pride Month, we bring you stories of people who broke barriers: the first known LGBTQ astronaut in space; the legacy of Stonewall; the early days of activism; and a pioneer of gender and sexuality studies.

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY NASA, AS PHOTOGRAPHED BY MACKENZIE CALLE

See Sally Ride's boundary-breaking life in photos

40 years ago, Sally Ride became not only the first American woman to go to space—but the first known queer astronaut to do so. These photographs explore her boundary-breaking exploration of space—and some of the accomplishments that have made her an icon of science, women's history, and LGBTQ achievement.

RELATED: How Sally Ride blazed a trail for women in space +

PHOTOGRAPHS BY ROBIN HAMMOND

The legacy of Stonewall: Stories of resistance and resilience

"There was a price we paid to open our mouths." Decades after the LGBTQ movement's riotous spark, its most marginalized members are facing new challenges. Here, they share their perspectives on the importance of knowing the history of the movement.

READ THEIR STORIES

STONEWALL: How this June 1969 uprising lit a fire under the fight for LGBTQ rights +

PHOTOGRAPH VIA BETTMANN/GETTY IMAGES

What is zapping? How early activists disrupted the status quo

These theatrical tactics included everything from duck costumes to pie throwing. One of the most infamous "zaps" occurred in 1977 (right), targeting singer and anti-gay activist Anita Bryant.

'WE WERE FIGHTING FOR OUR LIVES'

THE HUNT FOR A LEGENDARY COLLECTION

PHOTOGRAPH VIA ULLSTEIN BILD/GETTY

In the 1930s, the world knew Magnus Hirschfeld as the "Einstein of sex." The famed German Jewish physician and sexologist ran the Institute for Sexual Science, a library, research center, and clinic in Berlin. Then the Nazis came to power. For decades since, activists have been searching for Hirschfeld's legendary collection.

A GAY LIBERATION EPICENTER

A NEW ERA OF ADVOCACY

PHOTOGRAPH BY ROGER RESSMEYER, CORBIS/VCG/GETTY IMAGES

In 1983, AIDS hysteria was sweeping the country. As the crisis began to accelerate, a group of activists aimed to remove the stigma of the illness and assert healthcare as a human right. This is the story of how their manifesto empowered a generation—and helped shape a new era of advocacy.

THE 'MAGNA CARTA OF AIDS ACTIVISM'

MORE ON PRIDE, GENDER, AND JOY

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New AI may pass the famed Turing Test. This is the man who created it.

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How science is helping us understand gender

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'We are everywhere': How rural queer communities connect through storytelling

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Queer joy comes alive at this summer camp haven

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How destinations are helping LGBTQ+ visitors travel with pride

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How historians are documenting the lives of transgender people

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