In June 1994, LGBT union activists gathered in New York City as part of the 25th anniversary of the Stonewall riots. Wallace and others associated with the Gay and Lesbian Labor Activists Network (GALLAN), an organization of LGBT labor union activists in San Francisco, pushed for the formation of national organization out of frustration with the labor movement's silence during the debate over the Defense of Marriage Act. Taking a cue from a 1990 booklet titled "Pride at Work: Organizing for Lesbian and Gay Rights in Unions", the group decided to adopt the title as its name.