According to the global list kept by European Pride Organizers Association, nearly 500 LGBT events have been canceled this June, ordinarily the month when the community takes to the streets to be seen. Parades, parties, marches, coffee-house open mics and book clubs, all manner of queer-friendly events are on hold.
But if the Pride spirit is anything, it’s hard to lock down. In most cases, organizers have known since March that in-person Pride events were going to be off the table this summer, and so a veritable tsunami of virtual pride festivals are on their way.
PinkNews, a UK group which runs a nonpartisan pro-LGBT newspaper, is hosting Pride For All, a 4-day global virtual conference. It will feature concerts, panels, celebrity Q&As, and a silent auction and raffle in aid of Kaleidoscope Trust, which backs human rights aid in countries where LGBT people suffer legal persecution. June 4-7
Our Pride Ride is a social-distancing, international cycling event. To join is easy – wear rainbows, ride your bike, post your photos with the hashtag #OurPrideRide. June 13
BiFi Festival – Another UK-based event, this one raising up specifically bi voices. Panel discussions, performers, and a DJ’ed after party you can attend in your pajamas. June 20
#WorkPride is global, an event for professionals, job-seekers, and anyone who believes passionately in workplace equality. With fewer than half of the 50 states protecting LGBT people in the workplace, this one is a vitally important event. June 22-26
Pride Inside. Amnesty International, Black Pride, Stonewall, and ParaPride are collaborating to hos Pride Inside, a full-blown online Pride Event with nearly everything that would ordinarily mean. Artists, performers, musicians, comedians, and activists all shoulder-toshoulder for a single, massive day. June 28
There are hundreds more events around the world. It’s easy to feel isolated in all of this, stuck at home with people who may not be as accepting or safe as one could hope. Here is a larger list, there is a Pride for you, right in reach.