AP PHOTOS: June spreads LGBTQ+ Pride and rainbows around the world

June is Pride Month in many parts of the world

June is Pride Month, a season intended to celebrate the lives and experiences of LGBTQ+ people and to protest threats to hard-won civil rights.

In the U.S., this year’s Pride celebrations are taking place as legislators in many states seek to ban drag shows, restrict gender-affirming health care, and limit how teachers can talk about sexuality and gender in the classroom. In Colorado in November, five people were killed and several injured when a gunman shot them in a gay club. In Israel, Tel Aviv celebrated Pride for the first time since the country's new far-right government, stacked with anti-LGBTQ+ members, took office.

For more than a half-century, the annual marches have been an opportunity to demand action on specific issues such as the AIDS epidemic and same-sex marriage while also serving as a public celebration. These days, Pride celebrations and events — teeming with images of rainbows, a symbol of hope, unity and diversity for LGBTQ+ people — can be found all over the world.

One such event was held Saturday at the White House, where President Joe Biden aimed to show LGBTQ+ people they have his administration's support.

Some cities, including Boston; Indianapolis; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Pittsburgh; Salt Lake City; Rome; Athens, Greece; and Bangkok held parades earlier in June. Other major cities — including New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Denver and Minneapolis — hold their main events on the last weekend of June, while some cities host events at other times of the year.