While it’s a wonderful thing to be proud of who you are all year-round, June is the month in which it’s celebrated officially in the LGBT community with elaborate parades, music festivals and rallies. All month long, cities around the U.S. are hosting Pride events to commemorate the 1969 Stonewall riots in Manhattan, a pivotal turning point for gay rights in the U.S.
Here a just a few of the spots you can join in the festivities and the educational events the rest of this month:
NYC PRIDE (NEW YORK, NY) – June 21-28
New York has a number of pride events throughout the month, including Queens Pride, Brooklyn Pride, Harlem Pride, Rockland County Pride, Queen City Pride (Hudson Valley) Pride, and Hudson, NY Pride. One of the most popular New York events, millions of people attend Manhattan’s pride events each year. This year’s events include a Family Night, rally with a performance by Hip-Hop/R&B star Ashanti, pride parade, festival and dance with performance by Ariana Grande. New this year, the packed schedule includes Fantasy—a burlesque, masquerade experience at The Diamond Horseshoe club below Times Square.
San Francisco Pride 2014
SF PRIDE (SAN FRANCISCO, CA) – June 27-28
One of the largest pride events in the country, this June marks SF Pride’s 45th celebration. This year’s event—with the theme “Equality Without Exception”— features more than 200 parade participants, 300 exhibitors and more than 20 stages.
CHICAGO PRIDEFEST and PARADE (CHICAGO, ILLINOIS) – June 20-21/28
While Chicago has a variety of pride events throughout the month, the Chicago PrideFest runs June 20 and 21, followed by the Chicago Pride Parade on June 28. For the complete list of the events in the 46th annual celebration, visit here.
