June is Pride Month, a wonderful time where we collectively focus on uplifting, celebrating, and advocating for the people of the LGBTQIA+ community. However, the activities, observations, and traditions associated with Pride Month shouldn’t be solely confined to a certain time of year – we need to strive to support LGBTQIA+ people all year around.
The very first pride marches were held on June 28th, 1970, in Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago. To mark the one year anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, LGBTQ+ people and their allies gathered together, demanding equal rights. To learn more about the history of this celebration and other important historic milestones for the LGBTQIA+ community, make sure to check out our post “The History of Pride Month.”
To celebrate the beginning of Pride Month 2024, we’d like to center our post today on ideas for celebrating pride every day, every month, and all year! Because pride is more than just yearly parades, parties, and rainbow flags – it’s an ethos to adopt every single day in order to honor, love, and respect the past, current, and future members of the LGBTQIA+ community.
How to Celebrate Pride All Year Around
Display Pride Symbolism
Whether it’s in your home, on your car, or at your business, simply displaying a pride window decal or poster is an effective way to make members of the LGBTQIA+ community feel welcome and safe in your spaces. You can even incorporate aspects into your daily attire too, by adding accessories like pride buttons and patches to your clothing and bags.
Donate to LGBTQIA+ Charities / Volunteer with Them
Providing vital resources for LGBTQIA+ people nationwide, charities like The Trevor Project, Trans Lifeline, and The Marsha P. Johnson Institute work tirelessly to offer crisis intervention, counseling, education, sexual health information, and social support to those who need it. Consider donating to a local, national, or international LGBTQIA+ charity when you can. These organizations are often looking for volunteers, so consider offering them a helping hand, if it’s feasible. You could also host fundraising events for one of these causes during any month on the calendar!
Support LGBTQIA+ Businesses, Artists, and Performers
Countless talented artists, creators, and entrepreneurs call the LGBTQIA+ community home! Supporting them financially by choosing their services is another important way to advocate for pride. Here at Zazzle, we’re thrilled to have many amazing LGBTQIA+-identifying Independent Creators who provide our customers with stunning designs year-round. We asked the Independent Creators who identify as a member of this community to let us know what pride and equality means to them. Here are some of their responses:
“Pride means an absence of shame. Being freed from personal and historical shame to be the fullest expression of myself. Equality means being treated fairly, getting access to resources and opportunities that were previously unavailable, and making up for historical injustices.”
“Pride and Equality mean celebrating love and peace, being authentically ourselves, and embracing who we are without hesitation. It’s about feeling proud of who we are and loving whoever we want, regardless of gender. It’s a world where acceptance reigns and differences are celebrated.”
“It means to have the safety and framework to openly and fully be your whole self in all areas of life.”
“Not hiding; being able to raise your head high on a level with everyone else. Enjoying life to the fullest and uplifting others with a helping hand.”
How to Take Part in Pride Month In June
Attend a Pride Parade, Demonstration, or Festival
Check when your local pride celebration takes place, and rally your friends, family, and co-workers to attend. Don your best rainbow attire, makeup, or face paint, and get ready to join in the fabulous and fun pride festivities!
Hold a Pride-Centered Day for Employees in your Workplace
Reminding LGBTQIA+ employees that they’re seen while also promoting allyship in your work environment is paramount. Some ideas for observing pride month in your workplace include hosting events like drag bingo, a pride-themed arts and crafts workshop, or an LGBTQIA+-themed trivia quiz. These are great ways to have fun while also raising awareness about the importance of pride!
Decorate Your Space for Pride
Why not take some more pride in your décor? Decorate your home or workspace with some colorful pride-themed items like banners, posters, balloons, and buntings to really mark the occasion.
Throw a Pride Party
If parades and large crowds aren’t your thing, why not throw your own pride party instead? We’ve even got the perfect physical or virtual invitations for your event! Make a playlist featuring LGBTQIA+ artists to blast out of your speakers, and get ready to dance the night away with your nearest and dearest.
Attend a Local Pride Talk
During pride month, many municipalities will plan LGBTQIA+-focused talks, lectures, history lessons, and other educational sessions for patrons to attend. You could head to one of these to brush up your knowledge on current LGBTQIA+ affairs, or learn more about important historical moments in the movement.
We hope that this guide has inspired you with ways to observe pride not only in June, but all year around! Above all else, pride is an ongoing fight for equality, and it’s far from over. So, go forth, and show your support for the resilient and extraordinary LGBTQIA+ community all year, every year by implementing some, or all, of the practices and activities detailed in this post. If you can think of any other awesome ways to celebrate and promote pride throughout the year, please share them in the comments below, as we’d love to hear from you.
Ella is a content specialist from Cork, Ireland. Her passions include spending time with her two energetic dogs, fashion, photography, and trying new vegan food!
