Minneapolis, MN – For the seventh year running, community members disrupted the Twin Cities Pride parade, June 30, to protest the inclusion of cops and corporations. Their inclusion comes at the expense of queer community members who want the event to honor the spirit of radical resistance Pride came out of and to continue the fight for LGBTQ liberation. This year, more than 1000 protesters marched with the Taking Back Pride Coalition for not only LGBTQ liberation, but especially for Palestinian liberation.
Tallahassee, FL – On June 30, two days after the 55th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising, students and community members gathered at Tallahassee Students for a Democratic Society’s annual pride talent show, one of the longest-running non-corporate pride events in the city.
Tallahassee, FL – On June 29, the Tallahassee Community Action Committee (TCAC) along with other activist organizations held a rally in remembrance of Stonewall, the 1969 queer uprising that led to the creation of the current LGBTQ rights movement that exists around the world.
Around ten attendees joined together to talk about the history of the Stonewall Riot and the progressive movements that represent the spirit of Stonewall that exist today.
San Jose, CA – On Saturday, June 22, around 200 people gathered in Saint James Park to celebrate the first San Jose Peoples’ Pride.. The event focused primarily on reclaiming the radical militant origins of Pride.
Drusie Kazanova of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization emceed the event and started the program by saying, “We are here today to take back the radical, militant origins of pride. We do not align with the corporations and politicians who try to co-opt our movement while they enable the genocide that Israel is committing against Palestinians.” She emphasized the importance of calling out mainstream Pride celebrations’ ties with genocidal politicians and corporations, such as Lockheed Martin and Nancy Pelosi.
Denver, CO – On Sunday, June 23, the Colorado Palestine Coalition (CPC) organized a protest at Denver’s annual Pride Parade to draw attention to the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people and the complicity of companies like Lockheed Martin in that genocide. Denver’s Pride Parade was sponsored by several arms contractors that sell weapons to Israel, like Lockheed Martin and BAE Systems. The protest was attended by about 500 people.
Los Angeles, CA – On June 16, in the heart of Boyle Heights, a neighborhood known for its Chicano culture and activism, hundreds gathered for Orgullo Fest. The yearly festival brings together different communities and allows participants to celebrate both their Chicano and LGBTQ identities in an important cultural and social celebration.
Orgullo Fest was born out of a grassroots effort by local activists and leaders who recognized the need for an inclusive space. Juarez, an events organizer from the neighborhood, managed this year’s celebration.
Mandeville, LA – In a groundbreaking advance for the Louisiana LGBTQ rights movement, a Pride parade has premiered in Mandeville for the first time on June 1. Organized by Queer Northshore, over 500 people signed up to participate in the historic march called “PRIDE Northshore 2024.” The parade’s slogan was, “Y’all Means All.”
Marshfield, WI – Over 100 community members packed the chambers and overflowed into the lobby of an otherwise routine common council meeting, May 9, in the 18,900 person town of Marshfield, Wisconsin. On the agenda was a period devoted to open comments from the public, and religious reactionaries in the community had attempted to rally comment in opposition to the upcoming Marshfield Pride event in June.
Tallahassee, FL – For the last couple of months, I have binge-watched hundreds of hours of YouTube content related to RuPaul's Drag Race. I find myself emotional watching drag queens lip sync to Demi Lovato’s, Sorry Not Sorry. It is excellent television. Seeing talented queer people, especially those of color, grace the screen moves one. Even Shangela's epic read of Mimi Imfurst brings me to tears. That read is absolute poetry.
New York, NY – Thousands gathered at Foley Square in New York City on Sunday, June 26, for the fourth annual Queer Liberation March, organized by the Reclaim Pride Coalition. It is a yearly event to commemorate Pride Month by going back to its roots as a protest and an alternative to the corporate Pride events in the city.
