What to do, where to be to celebrate Pride Month 2022: Week 5
The LGBTQ community is finally coming out — of the shadows of COVID.
After two years of virtual celebrations, fully-masked demonstrations, socially-distanced commemorations and full-on cancellations, LGBTQ Pride month is here again.
While the pandemic is far from over, a combination of vaccinations, booster shots and CDC-approved antiviral drugs all point to a Pride month, where your biggest fear is what you are missing out on.
So, fear not. Here’s a handy little guide to help you through the last rainbow-powered days of June.
June 24
Black Pride 2022 at The Rail in San Diego
The second annual Black Pride celebration in sunny San Diego kicks off with an explosive ballroom extravaganza hosted by the celebrated ballroom “house mother” Teyana St. Laurent, with commentary by west coast ballroom personality Enycę Gorgeous Gucci. Organizers say that last year’s event was such a massive success that this year’s festivities were extended to an entire weekend. The ball will feature an underwear contest at midnight. Prices start at $10, from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. at 3796 Fifth Ave, San Diego, Calif.
Hawt Sauce! A queer dance party at the Eyedrum Gallery in Atlanta
The Southern Fried Queer Pride, an Atlanta-based organization focused on empowering queer and trans people of color in the South through the arts, is celebrating “eight years of queering Atlanta and the South” with a weekend of events. On Friday, organizers are promising “the hawtest DJs in the south with even hotter beats” to get the Pride party going, Atlanta-style. 10 p.m., outdoors at the Eyedrum Gallery, 515 Ralph David Abernathy Blvd, Atlanta
The Rally at The Battery, New York City
The NYC Pride Rally is back from the virtual world after two weeks of in-your-computer celebrations. The long-held Pride tradition began just a month after the Stonewall Riots, in the summer of 1969, when about 500 people got together for a “Gay Power” demonstration at Washington Square Park. This year’s celebration will feature voices of LGBTQ activism, including ACLU’s Chase Strangio, trailblazing trans swimmer Schuyler Bailar and Dominque Morgan, executive director of the Okra Project, a collective that provides free meals to Black trans people. Free, 4 p.m. at The Battery at State St. and Battery Place, Manhattan.
Mini Kiki Ball: Know Your History at the Oasis on Josie Robertson Plaza, Lincoln Center
The Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance is serving ballroom realness as it transforms Lincoln Center into a Mini Kiki Ball. Kiki, a more fun-oriented, community-focused version of ballroom’s major scene, honors the skills and style that have made the Harlem-born cultural phenomenon the force that it is today, as seen on FX’s “Pose” and HBO Max’s “Legendary.” Get ready to slay, children! Free, 8 p.m. 10 Lincoln Center Plaza, Manhattan
Love Above All Ball at Rockefeller Center’s Rainbow Room
A glam-and-glitz night to benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS is raising the Pride weekend curtains at the perfectly titled Rainbow Room. Since 1998, the beloved theater industry-based nonprofit has raised over $300 million for essential services for people living with HIV/AIDS, struggling with COVID-19 or other illnesses across the U.S., thanks to contributions from people like you. Celebrity chef Andy Baraghani will curate the evening’s menu, and performances will include a cabaret singalong led by “RuPaul’s Drag Race” season five winner — and masterful Judy Garland impersonator — Jinxx Monsoon. $375, 9 p.m. - 2 a.m. 30 Rockefeller Plaza 65th floor. Manhattan.
June 25
Harlem Pride
The first official LGBTQ Pride celebration in Harlem began in 2010 as a party to promote an art exhibit. Over the past 12 years, it grew into a weekend-long event with community forums, workshops, networking events, and outreach activities. The main event is a full afternoon of entertainment, dancing, Drag Queen Story Hour for the children, as well as referrals for health, legal and financial services. Free, noon-6 p.m., 12th Ave. between 138th and 133rd Streets, Manhattan.
Youth Pride at Rumsey Playfield in Central Park
NYC Pride’s official celebration of LGBTQ and ally teens returns to a fully in-person afternoon of performances headlined by Taylor Bennett, a multi-genre artist and LGBTQ advocate whose new album “Coming of Age” blends alternative, rock n’ roll, hip-hop, R&B and more. The openly bisexual 26-year-old is the younger brother of Grammy-winning artist Chance the Rapper and a major advocate for LGBTQ rights and a fierce activist for homeless youth. Free, reservations required. 1 p.m. Entrance via 5th Ave. at 72nd St. Manhattan.
Front Runners New York LGBT Pride Run
You can’t run with them, but you can certainly root for them. It comes as no surprise that registration for the beloved New York City tradition has been sold out for a while. In 2019 the event broke the Guinness World Record for the largest Pride charity run with more than 10,200 finishers from all around the world — but that doesn’t mean you can’t wave your favorite flag at runners throughout the 4-mile race in Central Park. This year, a portion of the proceeds will benefit Sylvia’s Place, a nonprofit that offers support and housing to LGBTQ homeless youth. 8:30 a.m. Race starts on East Dr. near East 69th St.
NYC Dyke March
The 30th annual New York City Dyke march will likely feel more energized than ever, after Friday’s Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade. Organizers say that anyone who identifies as a dyke is welcome to march regardless of gender expression or identity, sex assigned at birth, sexual orientation, race, age, political affiliation, religious identity, ability, class, or immigration status. This year’s theme is D4T: Dykes for Trans Liberation. Free, 5 p.m. at Bryant Park.
June 26
Queer Liberation March for Trans and BIPOC Freedom, Reproductive Justice & Bodily Autonomy
Reclaim Pride Coalition, the organizers of the fourth annual Queer Liberation March are walking for “our lives, our bodies, our agency,” and for “respect and visibility, for our communities.” The coalition, formed in 2018 by a group of LGBTQ activists who were fighting to reclaim the legacy of the Stonewall Riots, will again bring their colorful, loud and humorous form of protest to the streets of Manhattan, “marching against fascism, racism, sexism, ageism, classism, phobias, both within and throughout civil societies in 2022.” Free, 1-5:30 p.m. Foley Square, Manhattan.
PrideFest
The Pride spirit takes over the streets of Greenwich Village. The 28th annual LGBTQ street fair PrideFest is back to the in-person world. The area around the Pride March will be filled with a vibrant mix of local residents, out-of-state visitors and international tourists, who will experience an entire day of fun, celebration, food and, of course, Pride-shopping — all in the name of equality. Free, 11 a.m. 4th Avenue between E 8th and E 13th Streets, Manhattan
The March: Unapologetically Us
New York City’s traditional, long-running LGBTQ Pride march was first held on June 28, 1970 to mark the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, when it was called the Christopher Street Liberation Day March. A lot has changed over the past five decades, but organizers continue their fight to “love and live our truth and be our full and complete selves — and we are not going to apologize for it,” according to Sandra Pérez, NYC Pride executive director. Free, begins at noon, 25th St. at 5th Ave. in Manhattan.
Alegria Pride at Avant Gardner
Take your Pride to the dance floor for a 12-hour marathon of celebratory joy. Alegria Pride, the always over-the-top party spectacle produced by über promoter Ric Sena is taking over the world-renowned indoor-outdoor event space in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Five DJs — including house music producer Tom Stephan, also known as Superchumbo, and international sensations Ana Flor and Renato Cecin from Brazil — will keep you jumping, everybody pumping until you see a sun in the sky. $184.89 6 p.m.-6 a.m. 140 Stewart Ave., Brooklyn.
Vida San Francisco Pride at The Holy Cow
San Francisco’s dance party for all women who love women, the transgender community, and “queer folks of all colors, ages, and sizes” is offering a musical journey from reggae and dance hall all the way to hip-hop, and salsa featuring go-go dancers, a taco stand and craft cocktails. Tickets start at $25. 5 p.m.-midnight, 1535 Folsom St., San Francisco, Calif.
June 27
Speak Out, Speak Up, Fight Back: Virtual Town Hall
The LGBT Network, a nonprofit that fights for the rights of LGBTQ people and their families in Queens and Long Island is taking action against a recent decision by the Smithtown Public Library, which voted to ban the display of Pride-related books in all of its children’s rooms. The move prompted a massive backlash that has already led the library to reverse its position. But LGBTQ rights advocates took note of the “dangerous rhetoric and actions that people are taking, right here in our backyard in Queens and Long Island” and have scheduled a virtual meeting to discuss new measures directed at protecting local LGBTQ youth. Free, 7 p.m., registration required.
Alive with Pride Summer Camp, Naperville, Ill.
All students from grades 5 through 12 who identify as LGBTQ are invited for a weeklong Pride celebration organized by this teen-led, teen-driven center. Through games and conversations about LGBTQ history as week as issues faced by LGBTQ today, the camp is designed to remind students that they are accepted, welcomed and loved. $25, scholarships available. 12 - 1 p.m. 500 W,. 5th Ave. Naperville, Ill.
June 28
“Paris is Burning” at the Roosevelt Island Library, New York City
“Paris Is Burning” is a groundbreaking documentary that chronicles the ballroom culture of New York City and Harlem’s Black and Latinx queer and trans community. Directed by Jennie Livingston and released in 1990, the film is often described as a thoughtful exploration of race, class, gender, and sexuality in the U.S. The free, in-person screening of the celebrated documentary is part of the New York Public Library’s Pride Month series. 504 Main St., Roosevelt Island
Drag Story Hour at Leonard Library Garden, Brooklyn
Everyone is welcome to enjoy songs and stories for kids ages 3-8 during Drag Queen Story Hour. Through storytelling and creativity, the beloved program teaches children about gender diversity and all forms of difference to build empathy and give kids the confidence to express themselves however they feel comfortable. Free, 4 p.m. - 5 p.m. 81 Devoe St., Brooklyn
June 29
Meet me on the Dance Floor & Dance for a Memorial, New York City AIDS Memorial Park
The New York City AIDS Memorial is offering a Pride Weekend cool-down with a silent disco dance party featuring two LGBTQ dance floor icons, DJ Lady Bunny and DJ Lina Bradford. This free, community-focused Pride celebration will follow “Meet Me on the Dance Floor,” a storytelling event where people will share stories about the nightlife, partying, clubs, and connecting under the disco ball. The programs are centered around a site-specific, sculptural installation by Houston-based artist Steven Evans honoring those lost to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Free, 6 p.m. Greenwich Ave. at W. 12th St.
Pride Barre at the W Hoboken
Help LGBTQ youth, be nice to your body, and enjoy a well-deserved cocktail while taking in stunning views of Manhattan. W Hoboken is offering a Hardcore Barre Class (a workout inspired by ballet, yoga and Pilates) at its terrace followed by drinks at the hotel’s Living Room Bar. Ticket proceeds will benefit the Ali Forney Center, an organization committed to saving the lives of LGBTQ+ young people. 6-7 p.m. at the W Hoboken, 225 River St. Hoboken, N.J.
June 30
Start with Art at the Met, New York City
Share ideas and enjoy stories, sketching, singing, and other gallery activities that bring works of art to life at the Metropolitan Museum. New York City’s world-famous art paradise is celebrating LGBTQ Pride featuring museum educators who will engage children in conversations and activities related to a few works in its vast collection. Don’t miss Ellsworth Kelly’s rainbow-colored “Spectrum V” in the Modern and Contemporary Art wing. Recommended for families with children ages 3 to 6. Suggested admission $25, free for kids 12 and younger. 3:30 - 4:30 p.m. 1000 Fifth Ave.
Love Surpassing: Bibliococktails in the Rosenbach Garden, Philadelphia
Join fellow book lovers to celebrate Pride at the Rosenbach’s newly renovated garden. Expect fun literary activities, inspired toasts, cocktail demonstrations, and great bookish conversation. The Rosenbach is a museum and library located within two 19th-century townhouses. Free, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m., 2008-2010 Delancey Pl., Philadelphia, Pa.
