By: From virtual graduation celebrations to birthday parties, COVID-19 hasn’t stopped the joy that people are sharing and experiencing with each other. The same motivation to organize, bond, and network in the digital space goes with Pride this June. This month there are a variety of Pride events and activities that you can participate in to keep the party going.
Pride Lights: Honoring Those We Lost to the HIV/AIDS Epidemic
June 9, 6:00PM EST
Boston Pride will host “Pride Lights: Honoring Those We Lost to the HIV/AIDS Epidemic” to “commemorate all those we’ve lost too soon to AIDS.” Although virtual, the event will stream the annual lighting of Blackstone Park. The landing page notes that the “park lighting ceremony is meant to commemorate departed friends, family and coworkers and to increase awareness of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, which is still affecting our community today.” The virtual event will feature performances by the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus and Nicole Talbot. The event is a collaboration of the City of Boston and Boston Pride.
New York City Pride
June 19-21, 6:30-8:00PM EST
NYC Pride is partnering with GLAAD to host “Pride 2020 Dragfest: A Weekend To Support Our Queens” a virtual drag festival set to feature over 100 performers. The landing page notes “The video events will stream on NYC Pride and GLAAD’s Facebook pages. Viewers can contribute directly to each drag performer during their scheduled time through donations to their Venmo profiles.” GLAAD is an American non-governmental media monitoring organization founded by LGBT people in the media.
Out Now Live
June 22
them, Condé Nast’s LGBTQ brand, will feature a variety of favorite performers, artists, and activists in Out Now Live. Out Now Live is a virtual pride festival broadcast that will occur on several of them’s social media platforms. The virtual pride lineup will include performances, messages, and storytelling.
#WorkPride
June 22-26
#WorkPride is a free global online conference that will include several professional development and training opportunities around workplace equality. The conference will feature tips and strategies from key organizations and employee resource groups (ERGs) that are putting LGBTQ+ workers rights at the forefront.
Hide/Seek: Portraits for LGBTQ+ Pride Month
June 23, 5:00PM EST
The Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery will be hosting a live discussion on gender and sexuality in American portraiture. The discussion will be led by Jonathan Katz and David Ward, the co-curators of the notable exhibition entitled “Hide/Seek: Difference and Desire in American Portraiture” (2010–11).”
Cincinnati Black Pride
June 25-28
Cincinnati (Cincy) Black Pride is planning to host a variety of events from a Black Alphabet Film Festival, leadership awards ceremony, several DJ sets, and interfaith services. Although virtual, Cincy Black Pride continues mobilize the Black LGBTQ+ Community “to promote the health, education and awareness, as well as social and cultural wellness of people in Greater Cincinnati living at the intersection of Black and LGBTQ+ identity.”
The Trevor Project
All Month
The Trevor Project is an American non-profit organization founded in 1998 focused on suicide prevention efforts among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning youth. This year the organization launched a #PrideEverywhere campaign. PEople around the world are encouraged to add a #PrideEverywhere filter to photos and share them on social media with stories of what Pride looks where they are.
Virtual Prides offer people the opportunity to “attend” Pride events we wouldn’t normally be able to attend and connect on a national level. By participating and connecting digitally, I am sure that so much hope will be received by thousands of LGBTQ people that once couldn’t attend in-person events and activities due to concerns related to fear, safety, and costs.
Armonte Butler
Armonte Butler is a writer and activist based in Washington, D.C. He is passionate about adolescent sexual health and supports LGBTQ youth of color and youth living with HIV to become activists and leaders in their communities, on their campuses, and at the institutional, state, and federal levels. In addition, he has conducted an array of research on gender and sexual minorities in Argentina and the Dominican Republic. He holds Bachelor of Arts degrees in Global Studies and Gender Studies from Sewanee: The University of the South.
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