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Though the festivals are cancelled or postponed across the country, that doesn’t mean that the spirit of Pride itself has been shuttered.
By Barrett White
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has put a temporary hold on large social gatherings like Pride parades, concerts, festivals – you name it. That doesn’t mean that Pride itself is canceled, or that you can’t celebrate it all the same.
There are plenty of ways to observe Pride this year without leaving your home, including donating to local organizations that support the LGBTQ community and tuning into Pride livestreams and other virtual Pride events.
There are a number of virtual Pride events taking place, including Houston’s own on Saturday, June 27. In lieu of a festival, Pride Houston has gone virtual, electing to retain their June date while using their platform to uplift voices in the Black community in light of recent events. Speakers from the event will be livestreamed online. More information on the Pride Houston live stream including links and times can be found on Pride Houston’s official Facebook event.
Texas Pride Online is another online Pride event taking place on Sunday, June 28. The collaborative event will feature performers from all around Texas, representing eight metro regions including Austin, Bryan-College Station, Corpus Christi, Dallas, El Paso, Houston, San Antonio, and the region of West Texas. To view the event via simulcast is free, but organizers are also accepting donations and selling tickets to an exclusive Zoom link, which will include access to interact with the emcees and performers. All proceeds will be donated to various LGBTQ organizations, including Houston-based Montrose Grace Place and Transform Houston.
While Pride Month is usually punctuated by glitzy parades, expansive festivals, and rainbow-colored floats, confetti, and beads in the streets, Pride 2020 is the perfect Pride season to reflect on what Pride is really about: Pride is a movement rooted in social justice. A movement kicked off on June 28, 1969 at the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in New York City.
Black transgender activist Marsha P. Johnson is remembered today as a leader and veteran of the Stonewall Riots after she reportedly threw the first brick or shot glass that sparked the uprising – and subsequent movement toward LGBTQ+ equality.
While we can’t safely hit the streets in celebration this year, Legacy celebrate with you – safely – online and in our clinics, this month, and every month. Happy Pride.