June is here, and with it comes the festivities of Pride Month. Organizers across NYC worked through the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic to not allow it to hamper this important time for the LGBTQIA+ community. They coordinated a number of events, both virtual and in-person, to celebrate, reflect on, and encourage activism across the city and beyond. Whilst the month of June is fully underway, the majority of larger events are still to come; from concerts to conferences, to the world-famous Pride March on June 27th.
Glimmer of Light – June 17th
Broadway staple Playbill is presenting Glimmer of Light, the magazine’s first live Pride concert on June 17th at Radial Park in Halletts Point, Queens. The concert is produced by The Neon Coven, and is described by Playbill as “a celebration of queer youth and adults and their allies.” The event will feature a wide array of pre-show activities, with the concert beginning at 8:30 pm, and a live stream on Playbill.com and their YouTube. All proceeds for the concert are to be donated to the Born This Way Foundation with in-person tickets available online.
“Pride Presents” Annual Film Festival – June 18th
NYC Pride is putting on a large array of events throughout the month of June, and on the 18th, they bring back their annual film festival presented in partnership with TRIBECA. Programming for the event includes the short film Kapaemahu, the documentary film P.S. BURN THIS LETTER PLEASE, other showings, and a live talk-back at the end of the evening. This will be an exclusively virtual event, and tickets can be purchased here.
Pride in the Park – June 18th
Bryant Park and the New York City Opera present Pride in the Park, a free in-person event featuring performances of opera and musical theatre pieces from City Opera’s Pride Series. The concert will include an arrangement of the finale from Stonewall, the monumental opera from Mark Campbell and Iain Bell which premiered at WorldPride NYC 2019. Registration for tickets has unfortunately closed, however, the entire event can be viewed through a live stream on Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube @bryantparknyc.
It Gets Better: A Digital Pride Experience – June 23rd– 24th
Perhaps the largest virtual event comes in the form of It Gets Better: A Digital Pride Experience, which aims at celebrating and engaging LGBTQIA+ youth in a two live-stream featuring media personalities, musicians, artists, drag queens, and more. Taking place on the organization’s YouTube, the event will take place starting at 2 pm on both June 23rd and 24th, and will feature such names as Laverne Cox, Kalen Allen, Monique Heart, MJ Rodriguez, Chelsea Piers, Caleb Marshall, to name just a few. Full programming and more details can be found on the event website here.
NYC Pride: PrideFest – June 27th
The historic NYC PrideFest returns to Greenwich Village for its 27th year in 2021. Featuring food, local vendors, music, and Pride merchandise, PrideFest is a celebration of inclusion and equality for Pride attendees, NYC residents, and out-of-town visitors alike. NYC Pride is also organizing a virtual event in tandem with PrideFest for those unable to attend called MarketFest, a virtual Vendor Directory aiming to amplify LGBTQIA+ small businesses. Details for both these events will be posted on the NYC Pride website closer to the date.
NYC Pride March – June 27th
One of the largest annual Pride marches in the world returns on June 27th to NYC after its cancellation last year due to the pandemic. The event, which commemorates the first gay rights march in NYC held on June 28th, 1970, celebrates the anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising and continues a 50-year tradition of activism and festivity. The march will take place from 12 pm – 3 pm, and will be broadcast on ABC7, followed by further live streaming events on NYC Pride’s Facebook and YouTube pages.
There are a plethora of other Pride celebrations and opportunities for activism across the Five Boroughs, and smaller local events should continue to be supported by the NYC community. More information on local events across the country can be found here and on NYC Pride’s website.
