Capitalization is one of the writing rules that’s most inconsistently applied in English. We know to capitalize proper nouns, such as the specific names of people, places or things: Later that week, James flew to New York to see Coldplay at Madison Square Garden. Beyond that, things get fuzzy. For example, some people capitalize a person’s job title only when it comes directly before the name: She spoke to Vice President of Development Manny Sacks. Others capitalize such titles all the time: She spoke to Manny Sacks, the Vice President of Development. (For the record, we recommend only capitalizing a title when it comes directly before the name.)
When you’re considering whether to capitalize something, specificity is key. One example we use in our style guide entry on capitalization notes that you capitalize the full proper name of something but not a colloquial name: He took Uses of Communication Research, commonly known as the intro to research class.
Use that concept of specificity to guide you during LGBTQ+ Pride Month, which starts tomorrow. LGBTQ+ pride is a general concept that lasts year-round, while LGBTQ+ Pride, Pride Month and Pride refer specifically to events and festivities associated with the June celebration.
So if you’re referring to something specifically associated with Pride Month, capitalize “pride.” If not, there’s no need to capitalize it, including pride flag. Happy Pride!
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