How to Celebrate Pride During Lockdown

Pride Month takes place annually in June, celebrating LGBTQ+ people around the world as well as raising awareness of issues currently facing the community – particularly as it is still illegal to be LGBTQ+ in a staggering 70 countries globally, with 12 carrying the death penalty.

Whilst this month is usually full of parades, performances and parties, Pride 2020 is set to be quite different. Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, large Pride gatherings have had to be cancelled, and celebrations have been shifted online. But just because you can’t be there in person doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy Pride this year – we’ve rounded up some of the best ways you can mark Pride from home… 

Educate

Image credit: InSapphoWeTrust via Flickr.

Particularly important for allies of LGBTQ+ community is continuing to educate yourself on the history of Pride and why it is still so important to be fighting for equality – Pride is fundamentally a protest, not a party. 

Pride is held in June to mark the Stonewall Riots, which took place over a number of days in June 1969. The riots were incited by a police raid on Manhattan’s Stonewall Inn, a famous (underground) LGBT venue. This led to a series of spontaneous and violent demonstrations fighting for the establishment of places where LGBT people could be free to live and express their sexual orientation without fear of arrest. These riots became a catalyst for the gay rights movement, and the first New York Pride parade was held the following year, in 1970.

You can ‘visit’ the place where it all started – the Stonewall Inn. The interactive webpage Stonewall Forever allows you to explore the history of the monument, its role in the Pride movement, and more. As the bar is currently closed due to coronavirus, you can support Stonewall by donating to staff and their families though the inn’s GoFundMe page.

Donate 

One of the best ways you can participate in Pride from home is to donate to LGBTQ+ organizations fighting for equality. Organizations vary worldwide, but these are a good place to start: 

In the US:

• Pride Fund to End Gun Violence
• National Center for Transgender Equality
• The National Queer and Trans Therapists of Color Network
• LGBTQ Victory Fund
• Equality Federation
• Transgender Law Center
• GLSEN
• Trevor Project
• Gill Foundation
• It Gets Better Project

In the UK:

• Stonewall
• LGBT Switchboard
• FFLAG
• Mermaids UK
• MindLine Trans+
• Just Like Us
• Mind LGBTQ
• LGBT Foundation

Globally:  

• Kaleidoscope Trust
• The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA)
• Human Dignity Trust
• OutRight Action International
• Rainbow International Fund

Celebrate

You can attend one of many virtual Pride parades/events around the world, with events running throughout June. Global Pride are hosting a 24-hour livestream on Saturday 27^th June, hosted by musician Todrick Hall and putting the Black Lives Matter movement at its center. Participants anchoring the event include Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar, Laverne Cox, Olivia Newton-John and Adam Lambert. 

Amnesty International are joining forces with Stonewall, UK Black Pride and ParaPride to bring an entirely online, virtual Pride celebration, Pride Inside, running from Sunday 28^th June to Sunday 5^th July. This will include performances, talks and workshops from musicians, DJs, comedians, artists and activist, with the current line-up including Ana Matronic, Dr Ranj, Rosie Jones, Michael Cashman CBE and many more. The Pride Inside campaign will also see 1,000 digital billboards across the UK feature images created by and including queer people celebrating Pride in their own individual way from home. 

Many US cities are holding virtual pride parades and commemorations, including New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston and Denver. You can find out all about these in the New York Times article here.

And if you just want to let loose in an accepting and fun environment, check out Club Quarantine, described by The Cut as ‘Zoom’s hottest club’. It’s hosting ‘queer online dance parties’ every night in June featuring DJs, drag queens and other special guests. Much like Global Pride, they’re hosting a 24-hour event on the 27^th June which promises to be a night (and day…and afternoon…and evening) to remember.