June is Pride month in the LGBTQ+ community. This month, we will celebrate the community’s successes and milestones and reflect and remember those who came before us and paved the way. The world is starting to slowly re-open after pandemic shut-downs, and Pride is no different. Some places are holding small, in-person or hybrid events, some are planning later celebrations for August and September in hopes of larger crowd options, and some are hosting virtual celebrations from the comfort of your own living room.
Since we are still staying safe at home and hosting virtual events, I wanted to highlight some of the many virtual (and free!) Pride activities you can attend across America!
- Stonewall Columbus – Virtual Pride March – Saturday, June 19 – Free, no registration required
My home state of Ohio has a virtual Pride march you can join! On Saturday, June 19, Stonewall Columbus will hold their 40th Annual Pride March virtually. Stonewall Columbus says, “think Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade” with hosts, messages from organizations, and a day chock-full of Pride programming. You can find out more info and download the calendar event here. - NYC Pride – The Rally – Friday, June 25 – Free, but registration is encouraged
This is a digital event rallying the queer community together! Hosted by Hope Giselle and Brandon Wolf, this historic virtual rally will advocate for change, conversation, education, and activism in the LGBTQ+ community. For more info and to RSVP, click here. - Boys & Girls Club of San Francisco – Identity & Pride Exhibit – Friday, June 11 – Free, but registration is required
Come and see the Identity & Pride art exhibit, featuring pieces from the Boys & Girls Club of San Francisco. Art is from organization members in grades 7-12, after their five-month fellowship, where LGBTQ+ and ally youth reflected on their identity and used art as a way to explore and express themselves. To register, click here. - Good Neighbor Festivals – Pride in Local Music – Wednesday, June 30 – Donations encouraged
Want more music? Wrap-up Pride month with great, local music presented by The Austin and Nashville LGBT Chambers of Commerce. This livestream celebrates “the rainbow heartbeat of two great cities known for music.” Click here for the concert lineup, and to register, click here. - LA! Pride – Thrive with Pride Concert – Thursday night, June 10 – Free, without registration on TikTok
Streaming live (and exclusively) on TikTok, Charli XCX will be kicking off 2021 LA Pride with a free streaming concert. The show on June 10 will also include other up-and-coming queer artists making their Pride debut. You can find updates and additional info about this event on TikTok, @tiktokforgood - Hampton Public Library – PRIDE on the PENINSULA – June 1 through 30 – Free, but registration is required
The Hampton Public Library in Virginia is celebrating Pride month with daily programming, and they’ve got two virtual events – June 4 – Pride Month Spotlight: LGBT Life Center, and June 10 – Making Gay History: an Audio Tour through LGBT History with Eric Marcus. To sign-up for their programming, click here. If you’d like more info about Hampton Public Library in VA, visit their website. - Memphis Pride – Live and In Color 2.0 – Friday, June 5 through Sunday, June 6 – Free, but registration is required
Join Memphis Pride for a packed weekend of activities. Friday night, join the Friends of George’s cast for their premier version of “The Snatch Game”! Saturday is jam-packed with entertainment, dancing, laughs, and educational moments. Wrap up the weekend on Sunday with a Drag Brunch, multi-faith service, Drag Bingo, and breakout sessions. Click here for more info on the schedule and Memphis Pride. To register, click here.
I didn’t want to leave out teens and families. So here are some Family Friendly and Youth Pride activities:
- NYC Pride – Family Movie Night – Thursday, June 17 – Free, but registration is required
Suitable for kids of all ages and a digital streaming event. This event features spotlights on organizations whose work focuses on queer family planning, support, and advocacy, as well as telling the story of queer families. Family Movie Night is hosted by Miss Richfield 1981 and will cover the stories of 6 queer families and highlight 4 queer family organizations. The film for this year has yet to be announced, but will be soon! For more info and to register, click here. - Network for Social Justice – Pride Bingo – Tuesday, June 22 – Free, but registration is required
This is a family-friendly event appropriate for all ages, with prizes available for winners! This is a free event- just register to receive your bingo sheet! You can register here. - NYC Pride – Youth Pride – Saturday, June 26 – Free, but registration is required
This is a celebration for LGBTQ+ teens and their allies. This will be a day of musical performances, LGBTQ+ center spotlights, DJs, and a special ballroom segment. Youth Pride will be hosted by Amber Whittington and Jorge Wright. For more info and to register, click here!
Pride is a wonderful time for the LGBTQ+ community and our allies to celebrate life, remember those who came before us, and pay respects to those who paved the way. Can’t attend a virtual event or want to add some LGBTQ+ titles to your TBR list? Check out the LGBTQI ??Subject in Libby! Here’s 3 titles I’d recommend:
- The Book of Pride – Mason Funk
- All Boys Aren’t Blue – George M. Johnson
- The City We Became – N.K. Jemisin
Happy Reading, and Happy Pride!