Pride·10 min read

Celebrate Pride Month 2022 With Parades, Queer Creators, LGBTQ+ Orgs, and More

Pride month
Getty Images
June 9, 2022

Editor’s Note: This article has been updated to reflect Pride 2022. 

For years, June has been celebrated as Pride Month to honor the Stonewall riots. On June 28, 1969, police raided the Stonewall Inn — a popular gay bar in NYC. But customers fought back, leading to days of riots. The uprising was a major turning point for the modern gay rights movement. And a year later, the US’s first gay pride parade went down in NYC.

Over the years, pride parades and celebrations have been happening around the country and world, from Chicago and San Fran to London to Sydney. And after two years of COVID-related disruptions, celebrations are back in full force. And there are plenty of ways you can get involved. Starting with… 

Go all out at a pride parade

Festivals and parades are popping off across the US. Like… 

  • In Atlanta…There’s Pride night at an Atlanta Braves game on June 22 and a party at Georgia State University’s multicultural center. And if you can’t make it in time for the June festivities, the Peach State is keeping the party going in October — with their main Pride festival.

  • In Austin…This month, there’s a local music festival and celebration for LGBTQ+ people of color and allies. But if you’re looking for the city’s main Pride parade and festival, that’ll go down in August. 

  • In Boston…The city isn’t hosting a large pride parade this year. The org that typically hosts the parade dissolved in 2021, after complaints about inclusion. But there’ll be plenty of activities going on throughout June. Like block parties, a trans resistance festival, and more.

  • In Chicago…The annual Pride Fest will happen the weekend of June 18. And feature performances from Cupcakke, Dorian Electra, The Aces, and more. The 51st annual Pride Parade will then kick off at 1pm ET on June 26 — starting at Montrose Avenue and Broadway in Uptown. And will weave through the city’s northside. Check out the route here.

  • In DC…The city’s Capital Pride Parade returns on June 11 at 3pm ET. The route extends through Shaw, Logan Circle, and Dupont to “acknowledge the evolution of the LGBTQ+ neighborhoods.” The Capital Pride Concert and Festival will be on June 12. DNCE are headlining. And they’ll be joined by this year’s winner of Rupaul’s Drag Race, Willow Pill, and season 13 winner, Symone. 

  • In Los Angeles…This year’s Pride parade will kick off June 12 at 1:30pm ET. More than 130 parade floats and marchers will gather on Hollywood Boulevard to celebrate. Grand marshals include nightclub star Sir Lady Java, actor Mark Indelicato, and Grammy-winner Paula Abdul. 

  • In MiamiMiami Beach Pride always falls in April. But according to its website, there are some smaller events happening in June, like bar crawls and drag shows.

  • In NYC…The Big Apple is holding its Pride March on June 26 at 12pm ET. It’ll be hosted by celebrities and community activists like Dominique Morgan, Punkie Johnson, and Ts Madison. Angelica Ross will be back to co-host and perform on the broadcast special. There’ll be other celebrations throughout the month too. Including a street fair in Greenwich Village, a family movie night at The Battery, and more.

  • In San Francisco…The 52nd annual parade also falls on June 26 at 1:30am ET. The grand marshals for the event were chosen by the public. And have helped uplift the LGBTQ+ community. Other events like Pride Night at The Opera will be on June 18. And a bar crawl on the same day. Click here to find more ways to celebrate.

For more bashes going on around the 50 states, click here. Or search, “pride parades near me 2022.”

‘Like,’ ‘follow,’ ‘comment,’ and ‘reshare’ LGBTQ+ content creators

This group is using their platforms to raise awareness about important issues affecting the LGBTQ+ community. While also creating a safe space to uplift the atmosphere for all. 

Alok Vaid-Menon
[Design: theSkimm | Image: Getty Images]

Alok Vaid-Menon 

With a casual 1 million followers on Instagram, Alok Vaid-Menon is making waves. The gender-nonconforming artist, author, speaker, and comedian stays busy, to say the least. From going on comedy tours and doing brand deals, to inspiring his followers to “degender fashion.” Give them a like and follow on Instagram or TikTok.

Blair Imani
[Design: theSkimm | Photo: Kaelan Barowsky]

Blair Imani

With nearly 500,000 followers on Instagram, Blair Imani is making a splash as a writer, mental health advocate, and historian. The Black bisexual Muslim woman went viral for her “Smarter in Seconds” Instagram videos — where she quickly breaks down important, complicated topics. Like consent, cultural appropriation, and gender expression. Give her a follow on Instagram or TikTok. And check out Imani’s Skimm Her Life interview to learn about her fave LGBTQ+ orgs, books, self-care products, and more.

A photo of Dylan Mulvaney
[Design: Camille Rapay | Images: @kzelizabethz and @dylanmulvaney]

Dylan Mulvaney

Who do more than 4 million TikTokers love? Dylan Mulvaney — a trans actress, comedian, and content creator. She’s been documenting her journey since coming out as a transgender woman. Fans have watched Dylan try on women’s bathing suits, get her hair done, buy tampons, and more. Follow her on TikTok and Instagram. And check out theSkimm’s exclusive interview with her here.

Pınar Sinopoulos-Lloyd
Instagram

Pınar Sinopoulos-Lloyd 

A self-proclaimed “trans Indigenous mutant,” Pınar Sinopoulos-Lloyd brings their love for nature to their tens of thousands of Insta followers. They co-founded Queer Nature, a trans-run, nature-based education org for the LGBTQ+ community. They teach survival skills and outdoor resilience training. But they share even more general advice on social media. Like how they handle burnout, and what it’s like to be neurodivergent. Follow them on Instagram.

Portia Burch
Instagram

Portia Burch

The queer Black TikTok creator is a fan fave, with more than 133,000 followers. She uses her platform to educate viewers on a range of topics: from anti-racism and LGBTQ+ rights, to boundary-setting and being comfortable with feeling uncomfortable. Check her out on TikTok and Instagram.

Other ways to support the LGBTQ+ community this month and beyond… 

June is an exciting time to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community. But that doesn’t end on June 30. It’s important to keep the momentum going all year long. Here are some ways to do that:

  • Consider donating to impactful LGBTQ+ orgs. Here are just a few ideas to get you started (and tips to help you vet charities)...

    • The Ali Forney Center: It aims to help homeless LGBTQ+ youth find housing and gives them the tools they need to live on their own.

    • The Trevor Project: Provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ+ youth.

    • National Center for Black Equity: Empowers the fight for economic, social, and health equity for the Black LGBTQ+ community.

    • National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance (NQAPIA): Develops leadership, promotes visibility, and educates the AAPI LGBTQ+ community.

    • Lambda Legal: Works to achieve full recognition of civil rights of the LGBTQ+ community and people living with HIV.

    • The Okra Project: Brings home-cooked, healthy, and culturally specific meals and resources to the Black Trans community.

    • Human Rights Campaign: Partners with people across demographics, industries, and governments to help create a world where the LGBTQ+ community is treated equally. 

  • Support queer-owned businesses. Etsy has an entire landing page for queer-owned shops. Or if you’re looking for a LGBTQ+-owned business to visit wherever you are, check out this map from Everywhere is Queer.

  • Add queer-focused movies and TV to your queue. New shows like “Fire Island” and “Queer as Folk” are creating space on the small screen for the LGBTQ+ community. But that’s not all, check out these LBGTQ+ centered movies and shows coming out in June.

  • Make your voice heard on LGBTQ+ issues. With the uptick of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation being passed and intro’d in the US, it’s especially important to reach out to your elected officials — including your US senator. (PS: We talked to the CEO of the Trevor Project about how these bills are impacting LGBTQ+ youth.) The Senate hasn’t voted yet on the Equality Act (which the House passed in February 2021). The bill would ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity when it comes to things like jobs, housing, education, and public spaces. And research the politicians keeping LGBTQ+ rights top of mind. Especially going into midterm elections. Check out theSkimm’s landing page for everything you need to know. 

  • If you see something, say something. According to the FBI, one in five hate crimes victims in 2020 were targeted because of bias against their sexual orientation or gender identity. You can help prevent incidents like these from happening by being an active bystander and protecting someone who’s being targeted — whether it’s in the workplace, at the grocery store, or among friends. Learn how to be an active bystander here.

  • Listen. Yes, it’s as easy as it sounds. Let your family, friends, peers, and neighbors know that you can provide a safe space for them to talk about what they're going through.

theSkimm

After two years of scaled-back pride events, everyone is ready to get back to the usual festivities and celebrations. Remember though, Pride goes beyond June’s 30 days. And anyone could celebrate, share their story, or extend their allyship 365 days of the year.

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