Due to the COVID-19 crisis, virtually all Pride 2020 live events have been canceled or postponed—but you can still celebrate global Pride festivities from home this June.
We’ll say it: We’re bummed about the cancelation of Pride events all over the world. The annual celebration to dignify and increase the visibility of the LGBTQ+ community as well as reaffirm the need for equality and social justice is deeply rooted in public gatherings and live events— starting with the first New York City Pride March in 1970 and spreading to communities large and small across the globe in the 50 years since.
While many of us have largely settled into our newfound virtual social lives, it doesn’t make it any easier to cope with losing one of the biggest, best, loudest, proudest celebrations out there.
But that doesn’t mean we can’t still celebrate and support each other in this time. See below for how we’ll be honoring all that Pride stands for in 2020—and the silver linings we’ve found in the devastating loss of our favorite LGBTQ+ events.
When is Pride 2020?
Pride celebrations usually happen all over the world on various dates, but this year, dozens of Pride organizations have banded together to present Global Pride 2020 on June 27th.
The good news? Support from the European Pride Organisers Association (EPOA), InterPride, and national Pride networks in the US, Canada, and more, means that for the first time in the history of Pride, the annual celebration will pull the energy of the entire global community into a single event, instilling a historic sense of unity under these unfortunate circumstances.
How to Watch Pride 2020 Online
Virtual events and lineups are still being ironed out at this time, but the GlobalPride 2020 Facebook event is the best way to stay up to date on celebrations this coming June.
How to Celebrate Pride 2020 at Home
One thing we’re looking forward to about this year’s Pride celebration is how inclusive virtual and at-home celebrations can actually be. Of course, internet access is a privilege not afforded to everyone, but live public gatherings have limitations of their own. People with physical disabilities, for example, often find that parades and marches aren’t always accommodating of their needs, and people with financial or transportation limitations who live in rural areas aren’t always able to travel to celebrations in larger cities.
We don’t have to wait until June 27th to take advantage of expressing and experiencing LGBTQ+ Pride online. Now is the time to find ways to make the most of Pride 2020 that suit your needs, whether it’s reading books about LGBTQ+ heroes, watching gay rom-coms on Netflix, connecting with your community virtually, or something else entirely.
We’re taking this time to revisit some of our favorite stories that celebrate LGBTQ+ travelers around the globe. Maybe they’ll spark some inspiration of your own.