Gay and Lesbian Pride Month. On June 11, 1999, President William J. Clinton issued a presidential proclamation designating June as Gay and Lesbian Pride Month to mark the thirtieth anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising and the birth of the modern gay and lesbian civil rights movement. In that proclamation, the president said "...Since our earliest days as a nation, Americans have strived to make real the ideals of equality and freedom so eloquently expressed in our Declaration of Independence and Constitution. We now have a rare opportunity to enter a new century and a new millennium as one country, living those principles, recognizing our common values, and building on our shared strengths. I encourage all Americans to observe this month with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities that celebrate our diversity, and to remember throughout the year the gay and lesbian Americans whose many and varied contributions have enriched our national life." The International Pride Theme for 2011 is “Pride Around the World.”