No Parade, No Problem – How to Celebrate LGBTQ Pride in 2020
Every year in June, millions of people across the United States celebrate LGBTQ Pride. One of the most well-known and iconic Pride celebrations is the NYC Pride March, which commemorates the Stonewall Uprising and the birth of the LGBTQ Pride movement. This year, because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the need for social distancing, the annual NYC parade was canceled for the first time in its 50-year history.
Although you might feel as if it’s not Pride without the parade, there’s actually still plenty of ways that you can celebrate LGBTQ Pride this year. While the march may be canceled, the NYC Pride organization has created a number of virtual events to help you “advocate, educate, and celebrate” this year.
Advocate
NYC Pride’s main political event this year is the Rally, which is designed to open up dialogue about policies, community, and human rights. The event happens on Friday, June 26, from 5 to 8 pm EDT, and will take place live on Facebook and YouTube. During the event, you’ll join with activists, politicians, organizers, writers, artists, and more to continue NYC Pride’s legacy of activism.
Educate
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the first Pride Marches, which began in 1970 and have since become an annual event. To commemorate the last 50 years, NYC Pride will be hosting a Special Pride Broadcast Event on Sunday, June 28. Airing on ABC7 for local New Yorkers, the broadcast will reflect on a half-century of activism and progress, as well as focus on the future of LGBTQ Pride. The show will also feature performances and appearances from prominent LGBTQ celebrities, including Janelle Monáe, Billy Porter, and Margaret Cho.
Celebrate
Pride would be nothing without celebration, and even though this year’s celebrations will be taken to the virtual space, it doesn’t mean they’ll be any less colorful or lively. These events include:
- Pride 2020 Dragfest, which will take place from June 19 to 21 on Facebook and feature performances from more than 100 drag queens.
- Criminal Queerness Festival, an ongoing virtual art event that runs from June 9 through 29. The shows will be performed live on Zoom and livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube. You can see a full list of scheduled performances here.
- Runstreet Virtual Pride 5K Art Run. To take part in this event, which occurs between June 20 at 6 am and June 28 at 11:30 pm, don your favorite rainbow accoutrements, head out with your smartphone, and run the 5K through your own neighborhood. Look at your neighborhood with new eyes to find beauty in the familiar. Be sure to snap a picture of your adventure or a selfie and tag @Runstreet on Instagram to be entered in a photo contest.
Happy Pride!
Parade or no parade, we hope that you’ll still celebrate yourself and the LGBTQ community. We at Chelsea Fertility of New York City wish you a happy and healthy virtual Pride!
