June marks LGBTQ+ Pride Month. Starting with Pride marches on June 28, 1970 to commemorate the Stonewall Riot a year earlier, June officially became Pride month after a proclamation from President Bill Clinton in 1999. Marginalized communities have celebratory months throughout the year — including Arab-American Heritage Month in April and Disability Pride Month in July. Some political causes, such as environmental justice, also have had months recognized.
Some of these months are more known to the public than others, according to a new YouGov poll: 65% of Americans correctly identify February as Black History Month, while for each of the nine other months asked about on the poll, at least 47% are not sure when it falls on the calendar. Along with nine pride and heritage months, Earth Month also was included in this poll — the only advocacy-based month included.
Across the political spectrum, majorities of Americans approve of most pride and heritage months polled about. However, Democrats are more likely than Independents and Republicans to support these months. Less than half of Republicans approve of each of the following: Arab-American Pride Month (36%), Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (48%), and Disability Pride Month (47%). The biggest party difference in approval is for LGBTQ+ Pride month: 79% of Democrats approve, as do 20% of Republicans.
Majorities of Americans don’t engage with these months in any capacity. More women than men participate in most of the months polled; Arab-American Heritage Month, Jewish American Heritage Month, and Hispanic Heritage Month are the exceptions.
Political identity generally does not correlate with participation in these months. Participation in each month’s festivities is fairly equal between members of all political parties, though Democrats tend to participate more than Republicans and Independents. The biggest discrepancy is LGBTQ+ Pride month, where only 9% of those who have participated are Republican. The only month in which the percentage of Republicans participating is more than Democrats is Jewish American Heritage month.
Knowledge about pride and heritage months, however, appears to correlate with identity. Of those who correctly identified the start of each month, the highest percentage group was frequently always the group being celebrated. More women than men know that Women’s History Month is in March and Hispanic Americans are more likely than other Americans to know that September is the start of Hispanic Heritage month.
3% of Americans name months not included in the survey that are important to them or that they think should be recognized. Several survey respondents sought inclusion for health-related months such as Mental Health Awareness Month in May and Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October. Several dozen respondents advocated for the calendar to include a White Pride Month or American Pride Month; many of them suggested both.
See the results for this YouGov poll
Related:
- A 2019 YouGov survey on Women's History Month
- A 2019 YouGov survey on Hispanic Heritage Month
- Daily Question: Do you think race relations in the US have become better or worse within the last 12 months?
Methodology: The poll was conducted online among 1,156 U.S. adult citizens from May 2 - 6, 2024. A random sample (stratified by gender, age, race, education, geographic region, and voter registration) was selected from the 2019 American Community Survey. The sample was weighted according to gender, age, race, education, 2020 election turnout and presidential vote, baseline party identification, and current voter registration status. Demographic weighting targets come from the 2019 American Community Survey. Baseline party identification is the respondent’s most recent answer given prior to November 1, 2022, and is weighted to the estimated distribution at that time (33% Democratic, 31% Republican). The margin of error for the overall sample is approximately 3.5%.
Image: Getty
