As we’ve mentioned a few times before, the big, colorful Pride parades of June have been canceled all around the world. Yet that doesn’t quite mean that Pride has been canceled. The Pride this year will be bigger than any other, as protests continue across the world and companies who performatively flaunt Pride for profit. What’s left are those who have fought as individuals and communities to happily celebrate their sexuality to gather in celebration and solidarity to say “we are here, and we’re here to stay, and we’re going to fight for our rights to stay.” As LGBTQ+ people have for decades adapted to the changing political environment of our times, we are once again called on to adapt to preserve and grow the spirit of Pride, for this year’s Pride will be going virtual!
On June 28th from 12 to 2:00 p.m. EST., organizers of NYC Pride will be hosting a virtual pride on New York’s WABC Channel 7. According to LGBTQnation the event will be packed with notable LGBTQ+ icons from all different spectrums including: Schitt’s Creek star Dan Levy, pansexual Afro-futurist musician Janelle Monáe, gay actor and singer Billy Porter, bisexual comedienne Margaret Cho, gay TV personality Carson Kressley and a bunch more.
Let’s remember that this year’s Pride events will be celebrating the 51st anniversary of the Stonewall riots, a series of riots that kicked off the Civil Rights Movement for LGBTQ+ people. In solidarity to the true roots of pride, please consider partaking in protest, helping out at protest, or donating in solidarity to the Black Lives Matter movement.