How To Celebrate Pride Safely At Home
Article written by Kendra Beltran
When businesses started to close their doors in March 2020, many were optimistic that things would be back to normal in a matter of weeks, a month at most. Well, fast forward to the present and our current reality has left us with large events still being a no-go, that includes Pride events all over the world in June. While we can’t head out to our favorite parades and events this June, we can still make the fucking best of the situation at hand and still celebrate Pride and show support for the LGBTQ community in a variety of ways.
The Lavender Effect
The Lavender Effect is an LGBTQ non-profit that is set to kick off their own Pride celebration on May 31st with a cascade of greatness that includes their Grand Marshall Alexandra Billings who is an icon in her own right known for her role in Amazon’s ‘Transparent’ as well as her activism. On top of Billings, those who attend this virtual event will also be able to catch Sandra Bernhard, Audra McDonald, ‘RuPaul Drag Race’s’ Chad Michaels, and many more.
San Francisco Pride Online
If you thought San Francisco was going to let 2020 go by without some sort of Pride event, you done thought wrong. While they had larger than life plans for this year, they had to do some rearranging and are going to do their best to still deliver the weekend of June 27-28 with an online celebration. The online celebration will feature pre-recorded performances, wonderful words from not only elected officials but celebrities, drag performances, DJ sets, and more.
Virtual Drag Shows
Many creatives took a big hit when the world pretty much shut down - drag queens included. Not being able to perform has put a huge dent in their incomes and with Pride appearances on halt, they are looking for other avenues to earn a living. So if you can, check out their online performances, and don’t forget to tip any way you can. You can also help out your favorite queens by purchasing merch as well. Hey, you would have bought a tee at Pride, so there’s really no difference. You just have to wait for it to ship!
Donate To Charity
While Pride events are overflowing with performances and drink stops, there are also many LGBTQ charities and nonprofits that set up shop at Pride to encourage the community to give back. So just because you can’t physically walk up to their booth or get a pamphlet handed to you while you wait for the parade to start, you can do you part by seeking out some of those organizations and giving what you can to show not only your Pride this month but your support for the LGBTQ community.
Throw a Zoom Pride Party
We are all staying safe at home because gathering in large crowds...not the smartest thing to do right now. With that in mind, why not throw your own Pride Party via Zoom? Get your best friends together on the group chat, set a date, and then get to planning. To make sure this isn’t some basic Zoom call, encourage everyone to put up their best Pride decor, get dressed up, and make some drinks. What you can also do is curate a Spotify playlist to share so that everyone can be on the same page musically.
Drive-Thru Parade
If you have a friend or a few friends that have been feeling extra low and are in need of something a bit more than a virtual party, surprise them by organizing a mini-Pride Parade. I’m sure by now you’ve seen all those birthday parades. Do the same but with a Pride-theme. Deck out your cars with Pride decor and set a time and place to meet. Then surprise your friend(s) with a wonderful, personal parade that is all for them.
