Life
13 Virtual Pride Events To Celebrate The LGBTQ+ Community
June doesn't just mark the beginning of summer, it also commemorates National Pride Month — a celebration of the LGBTQ+ community and all of their advancements. While for the past 49 years this has meant a massive Pride parade, this year on the 50th anniversary of the first Pride parade, things are a little different. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, many parades have been canceled or postponed. But that doesn't mean hope is lost. Communities all around the country are pushing through and holding virtual Pride events in 2020 to celebrate this year.
The Pride celebration is usually one where LGBTQ+ community members and allies alike come together to experience a loving and accepting atmosphere. It's meant to not only show the public that the community is strong and resilient as a whole, but also to allow individual people to be who they truly are, without fear of judgement or persecution. Attending a Pride parade — whether for the first time or the 49th — is a significant moment in many people's lives. And having to sacrifice that this year may be difficult. While nothing can replace attending a Pride parade IRL, LGBTQ+ groups and organizations around the nation are banding together and doing their best to provide the best virtual experience that they can.
If you need a little help figuring out what virtual Pride events are out there, here's a list of the ones you can attend this year.
1Global Pride
While there are plenty of smaller virtual Pride events you can take part in, there's also a virtual Global Pride in the works for June 27. This celebration will last for an entire 24 hours and feature live hosts, performers, and engagement pieces. The event will be hosted by InterPride, a global federation of Pride organizations, as well as the European Pride Organisers Association.
2South Florida Pride Collective
Five different Pride organizations in South Florida are coming together to create a virtual experience in place of the usual large and separate celebrations they have. Miami Beach Pride, Pride Fort Lauderdale, Palm Beach Pride, Wilton Manors Stonewall Pride, and Gay8 (Ocho) created the South Florida Pride Collective where they'll be featuring local celebrities like Tiffany Fantasia, Kitty Meow, and Latrice Royale. The event will also include a voluntary online contribution site where people will have the chance to donate to efforts to help South Floridians, who have been impacted by the virus.
3San Francisco Pride
San Francisco is hosting its very own virtual Pride celebration on both June 27 and June 28. The event will include both live and pre-recorded music performances, speeches, drag performances, and DJ sets including ones by prominent LGBTQ+ community members. The event's site mentions that more information will be coming soon.
4Seattle PrideFest
Seattle PrideFest hasn't officially canceled its Pride events. In fact their site says that it, along with other Pride 2020 events are being postponed to the late summer. In the meantime, the organization will be hosting a virtual celebration in June to commemorate National Gay Pride Month. Details on the specifics of the virtual celebration are still to come.
5Virtual Arizona Pride
This year would have been the 40th anniversary of the Annual Phoenix Pride Festival and Parade. But as of right now, this parade has been rescheduled to November 7 to November 8. In the meantime, Pride organizations within Arizona have banded together to create the Virtual Arizona Pride
6Ann Arbor Pride
While National Gay Pride Month is in June, Ann Arbor will be holding its virtual Pride celebration on August 1. The celebrations will include live performances, vendor advertisements, and chances to engage with other community members. A schedule of events will be released in the coming weeks.
7New York City Pride
New York City was the first city to host a Pride parade in 1970, a year after the Stonewall Riots. This is the first time since its inauguration that the event has been canceled. This is why the city is hosting a virtual NYC Pride event on June 28 from noon to 2 p.m. The event will be hosted by "Schitt's Creek" start Dan Levy and include performances by Janelle Monáe, Deborah Cox, Margaret Cho, and others.
8Lehigh Valley Pride
Lehigh Valley will be shifting its Pride celebrations to a virtual format this year. Details on the event are yet to come, but residents of the Leigh Valley LGBTQ+ community are planning for an August 16 date to commemorate the festival's 27th year.
9The Pride Of Texas
Normally the Dallas Pride celebration, The Pride of Texas is a new virtual event that will be taking its place. The event is hosted by Dallas Pride and other organizations that have been hosting Pride events since the first one in Dallas in 1972. More details on the virtual celebration are to come in the following weeks.
10LA Pride
LA Pride is going digital for this year's celebration of the 50th anniversary of the first Pride parade. Though there are currently not many details on the celebration, the site mentions that there will be more to come soon.
11Annapolis Pride
Though the Annapolis parade and festival have been canceled, its Pride celebrations have not. Annapolis Pride will go virtual this year. The virtual event will mimic the feeling of going through booths at pride, with different educational tabs on different sponsors, businesses, and local resources for the LGBTQ+ community. The event will take place online on June 27 at 4 p.m.
12Pride Bigger Than Texas
San Antonia's usual Pride celebration has shifted to a larger Pride Bigger Than Texas virtual event. The event will be held on June 27 and will mostly be a way communities can help raise money for the eight local charities and nonprofits that support LGBTQ+ communities. More information on the event will be posted in the following weeks.
13Middletown Pride
The community members of Middletown, CT are coming together to plan a virtual Middletown Pride event. The original event was going to take place in June and then moved to August until it was recently canceled entirely. As of right now there are no other details aside from the town's decision to take the event virtual.
