Every June members of the LGBTQ+ community and allies come together to celebrate Pride Month.
It’s a celebration of diversity, inclusivity, and visibility. And it’s also a way to honor the sacrifices and achievements of LGBTQ+ activists and recognize the ongoing pursuit of equal rights and justice for queer folks everywhere.
Pride Month is traditionally marked by joyful rallies and parades, concerts, and other commemorative events. Pride went virtual in 2020. But with vaccine rollouts well under way, there’s renewed promise that Pride 2021 will look more like it did in the pre-pandemic years.
Whether you’re a member of the LGBTQ+ community or you consider yourself an ally, we’ve compiled a list of ways to celebrate Pride Month in the streets, at home with your family—or however you choose to observe it.
A Quick History on Pride
On a hot summer night in 1969 police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay club in Greenwich Village. Orchestrated by the so-called Public Morals Squad, the objective of the raid was to find and arrest “men dressed as women” after “verifying their sex” with humiliating body searches.
Sadly, raids like this were common at the time. But on June 28, 1969, the gay community fought back. After the police botched the raid and became violent, Stonewall patrons—led by Black trans activist Marsha P. Johnson—fought back in uprisings that lasted for six days.
It wasn’t the first time the LGBTQ community stood up against police harassment and brutality. But the Stonewall riots helped spur major change. Gay rights groups sprung up in every American city within two years of Stonewall, and Pride as we know it today is inextricably linked to those events.
Here are some ways to celebrate Pride or be a good ally:
1: Organize a lunch and learn session at work.
Even if you work remotely, there are ways to celebrate Pride Month at work. Lunch and learn webinars are a great way to keep employees engaged and informed. Host a viewing party about LGBTQ history for your employees.
Or reach out to a local LGBTQ rights group in your area to find out about the possibility of arranging a guest speaker. Check out these past webinars from the LGBT Community Center in New York for inspiration.
2: Join a Pride parade.
You don’t need to identify as a member of the LGBTQ+ community to attend a Pride parade, march, or rally. You just need to show up with an open mind and heart in full support of equality for all. Use this calendar to find a pride event near you.
3: Host a trivia or movie night.
If being in a large crowd is still a no-go or it’s just not your thing, hosting a socially distanced trivia or movie night is a fun alternative. It’s also a great way to get teens involved, who probably get little to no queer education in their school curriculum.
There are hundreds of movies, documentaries, and series about LGBTQ folks and the queer experience. Host a screening of the Oscar-nominated biopic Milk, which chronicles the life of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay politician to be elected to public office in California. Or dive into queer history with a trivia session.
4: Throw a Pride-themed party.
Let your rainbow flag fly high and get ready to shake your money maker, cause ain’t no party like a rainbow infused pride party. Here are some fun ideas:
Bake a rainbow layered cake or other sweet treat
Make rainbow fruit skewers—perfect for summer and Pride
Decorate your digs with a variety of Pride flags—rainbow, bi, trans, progress pride, etc.
Create rainbow flower bouquets
Assemble Pride goody bags with Pride pins, rainbow sunglasses, and other fun stuff
And of course, it wouldn’t be a party without the jams. Try Andy Cohen’s Ultimate Bravo Pride Playlist or create your own.
5: Educate yourself.
Being an ally starts with knowledge. Download the Trevor Project’s free Guide to Being an Ally to Transgender and Non-Binary Youth. Spend some time learning about the history of Pride. Read books about LGBTQ history and the struggle for visibility and equality. Familiarize yourself with vocabulary on gender identity and pay attention to pronouns. There’s always more to learn.
Get ready to wave that rainbow flag proudly. From the team at DCP Entertainment, Happy Pride Month!