Faces of pride Meet 11 Madisonians in the LGBTQ community who celebrate their authentic selves not just in June during Pride Month. May 20, 2021 7:35 AM Stacy Harbaugh Updated: Dr. Sami Schalk (left) and Dina Nina Martinez (right) June is celebrated as Pride Month. It marks the anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall Riots when patrons of New York City’s Stonewall Inn protested mistreatment by police. In June you will see “rainbow-washing” when companies festoon their corporate logos or advertisements with prism colors to appear as allies once a year. But at its core, June was designated as Pride Month because transgender and queer activists resisted discrimination at Stonewall. Because of those efforts, those of us in the LGBTQ community — myself included — can live with greater freedom to love and to define life on our own terms.