Pride 2020 looks nothing like years past, and yet, the month commemorating the Stonewall Uprising in June 1969 shares some similarities with its origins. Protests across the city and nation, standing up for and demanding equal rights for Black Americans are reminiscent of those 51 years ago in the West Village, led by Black trans folks, drag queens, and queer people of color.
The LGBTQ movement has banded with the Black Lives Matter movement this June, to celebrate LGBTQ Pride, amplify the voices and causes of leaders of color, and continue to push for justice for marginalized groups.
Here we’ve rounded up some events, fundraisers and digital gatherings for LGBTQ folks and allies to participate in this month.
Pick Up a Queer Soup Party Box
On June 7th, get yourself over to Prospect Heights to pick up a Queer Soup Night special box from Meme’s Diner. The $12 package includes one pint of soup from MeMe’s Diner, a DIY soup pack from queer makers: Food + People, plus a special sweet treat. Donations are also accepted. Then, sign on from home on the evening of June 7th to enjoy soup as a community for a virtual Queer Soup Night.
Support the Queer Liberation March
Back for its second year, this antidote to the (now cancelled due to COVID-19) NYC Pride Parade brings people, not brands, to the streets. 2020’s rendition will take place on Sunday, June 28th, with a to be announced time and location, likely in Manhattan. The march will be focused on elevating and protecting Black Lives and calling for an end to police brutality.
Learn from the LGBT Sites Project
Throughout the month of June, this nonprofit which aims to preserve and popularize New York City’s LGBT history will host zoom seminars discussing origins and legacies of queer places and events in the city. Tune in from home, and then use the site’s tool to learn more about LGBT history sites throughout the city.
Pick up some cans at Three’s Brewing
Gender Neutral beer is back at Three’s Brewing, in rainbow cans purchasable via the socially distant window bar. The 4.5% ABV, citrusy Pilsner is perfect for day drinking and 10% of Gender Neutral sales are donated to the Anti-Violence Project, an NYC-based organization that works with LGBTQ+ and HIV-affected communities.
Shop at Lockwood
The LGBT-owned, Queens import is decked out in rainbows for Pride Month. The Greenpoint Avenue gift shop and boutique is offering pickup and free shipping on everything, including Pride-focused items like the graphic history book Rainbow Revolutionaries.
Find Pride Reads at Word
Greenpoint’s independent literary bookshop, Word, has curated a Pride 2020 reading list as well as a Children’s Pride list to make it easy to find LGBTQ+ centric reads, which can be pre-ordered and picked up outside the shop or shipped. A portion of sales from the first two weeks in June will be donated to bailproject.org.