For queer people all over the world, June is an important month to celebrate the past and advocate for the future. NYC Pride has played a huge part in the gay rights movement, so the city is one of the most exciting places to celebrate. Events that honor queer history will be happening all month long. From your typical NYC pride parade, to parties with your dog, to new art installations, no matter what your vibe is, there are plenty of pride events to check out this month. With all these events, being who you are for your pride (and not hiding!) has never been more fun in the city. Check out 25 NYC Pride events happening this month in the list below, organized by borough:
Manhattan NYC Pride Events
1. Woof Fest: Paws for Pride, Manhattan West Plaza – June 10, 12:00-4:00 pm
Want to celebrate pride month with your four-legged friends? Head to Manhattan West Plaza for pride (and pup) themed activities with Paws for Pride. Your canine friends will enjoy looking to the future with the pup-psychic who will read their tarot cards. Or maybe they would like to get a pawdicure or have their caricature drawn. There are so many options for your furry friends to celebrate along with you, but don’t fret: there are activities for you too. In addition to (free!) giveaways, you can watch the cabaret show put on by the queer theater company, Circus Amok (at 12:15, 1:20, and 2:30 pm). The circus company is sure to wow with their acrobatics and juggling as well as many other tricks they have up their sleeves. At the event, you can score a free pride bandana for your dog as well as a collapsible water dish if you register ahead of time. The entire event is free to register and attend and is open to all (especially your proud pooches).
2. An Evening with Stanley Stellar: A Celebration of Pride and Progress, The National Arts Club in Gramercy Park – June 9, 7:00 pm
Photographer, Stanley Stellar, has captured some of the most important and provocative moments throughout LGBTQIA+ history. His work demonstrates the rich history of the NYC queer community. He has captured moments from the first ever pride demonstrations that show joy and pride, while also catching the fear and sadness that enveloped the community throughout the AIDS epidemic. This event by the National Arts Club will take you through 50 years of his most powerful and moving work.
3. Legends of Drag at the AIDS Memorial – June 14, 6:00-7:00 pm
June 14, expect a campy and fun celebration of pride at the AIDS memorial in Greenwich Village. The AIDs memorial has partnered with the team behind Legends of Drag, a recently released portrait book of drag icons, to create a revue featuring many legendary drag queens (or as Ru Paul said, Queens of Drag). These stars include Caracol de Cuba, Dina Jacobs, Egyptt LaBeija, Kelly Ray, Ruby Rims, and Simone, stars who have cleared the pathway for drag stars today. The drag community has broken down so many barriers regarding gender. Drag has given scores of people the ability to tap into their more feminine selves when that is not what is traditionally expected of them. These drag queens have defied gender norms and broken barriers in their years of performing. While we live in such a world where targets are being placed on people who live outside of the gender binary, like trans folks and nonbinary people, drag brings a sense of hope and beauty in a time of uncertainty. Celebrating drag and all it has done for the queer community is immensely important–and fun!
4. Dance for a Memorial II, AIDS Memorial – June 14, 7:00 pm
The second annual silent disco held at the AIDs memorial will begin right after the Legends of Drag event. The disco features DJs like Papi Juice, DJ CHES, and DJ Nikki Jax and, in typical silent disco fashion, a pair of headphones for anyone who comes to listen to the music. To receive your wireless headphones, make sure to turn in some sort of collateral: ID, credit card, watch, etc. The event is completely free and will have some amazing music rooted in queer history.
5. The Brunch at The Altman Building – June 18, 11:30 a.m
Celebrate Black LGBTQIA+ chefs at brunch with NYC Pride at The Altman Building at 135 W 18th St. The food, shared along with Juneteenth stories, is sure to please. The event is designed to shed light on the impact that local businesses have had on the queer community. This event is a way to say “thank you” to the Black Folx continually paving the way for other queer people. Tickets are $30 and guests must be 21+.
6. The Rally, 154 Christopher St, New York, NY – June 17, 4:30 pm (FREE)
The rallys an annual protest and activism event where participants can show support and love for the LGBTQIA+ community of today and the future but that of the past too. Speakers at this year’s event include Braxton Fleming, Cecilia Gentili, Mila Jam and Kathy Najimy. The rally first took place after Stonewall in 1969 and today remains a reminder of queer history.
7. Washington Square Park LGBTQ Walking Tour – June 20, 6:00 pm
The tour, led by the NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project, will explore classic queer landmarks around and in Washington Square Park. The tour includes a look at the meeting place Salsa Soul Sisters and the Judson Poets theater, all ingrained into queer history and activism. Discover more LGBTQIA+ landmarks in NYC here!
8. MoMA Pride Celebrations – June 21
If going to a bigger event, like a parade or community-wide pride party, is not your vibe, check out this tour of queer art at MoMA. While this tour is only open to members of the museum, you will have the opportunity to see art by artists like Frida Kahlo and Catherine Opie. The tour tracks queer liberation movements through art. However, if you don’t have a membership, head to MoMA and check these pieces out on your own. On June 21, MoMA will be hosting a pride celebration to honor these artists. Tickets are open to everyone, not just members of the museum, but non-members do need to reserve a ticket ahead of time.
Secrets of the Met Museum Tour
Art by queer artists or work that centers on queer themes can be found throughout the great art institutions of New York City. One place you can start is at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. There you’ll see the work of Germain Krull, an icon of avant-garde photography during the first world war in France. Her works focused on controversial issues of the time, including queer love. One of her works, Les Amies (1924), lies in the Metropolitan Museum of Art along with much of her other works.
9. Harlem Pride: Fearlessly Forward, between 133rd St. and 138th St. West Harlem – June 24, 12:00-6:00 pm (FREE)
Harlem’s SGL and LGBTQ+ center, Harlem Pride, will host Fearlessly Forward, a day of celebration for the LGBTQ+ community. The event, taking place in West Harlem, features two stages: one for performances and another with DJs playing music you can dance to. There are also activities for kids including face painting and Drag Queen Story Hour, a non-profit organization that brings gender fluidity to kids through storybooks.
In addition to the joy and celebration at this event, Harlem Pride will feature health advice and on-site testing as well as legal advice. This is a fantastic opportunity provided by Harlem Pride for queer people to receive support for anything they are struggling with. Not only is this a great event you can attend with friends, family, or by yourself, but you can also register to volunteer for this event–and others–through Harlem Pride. Options to volunteer include set-up, working the information table, being a guide for attendees, clean-up, and more. Volunteering is a great way to get involved in the queer community in Harlem if you are not already! The Fearlessly Forward event will fill Harlem full of joy, hope, and love for pride month.
10. Just say GAY! at the Stonewall Inn – June 11, 4:00 pm
This 21+ variety show brings queer folks and allies alike together to celebrate pride. In a world where freedoms around even discussing being queer are brought into question, this show demonstrates how much joy and love there is surrounding the queer community. Come celebrate that joy with other queer people and allies.
Greenwich Village Coffee Tour
On Untapped New York’s Coffee Tasting and Tour of Greenwich Village, we’ll walk past Stonewall and stop by an important landmark in LGBTQ+ history, the former Cafe Cino, the birthplace of Off Off Broadway.
11. PrideFest, TBD Greenwich Village – June 25, 11:00 a.m (FREE)
The 29th annual PrideFest is an amazing opportunity to have fun in the name of Pride. The festival includes live performances at StageFest from global performers. Stop by to get some pride swag and food to from local vendors. The festival is a street fair with local businesses, community leaders, and sponsors and is a beautiful celebration of queer joy and community in the city.
12. Visit Craig’s Closet
Craig’s Closet is a new art installation at the AIDS memorial which honoring all those who were lost to AIDS during the epidemic. The touching piece by Jim Hodges draws connections between viewers and the past through its inclusion of personal items. The installation is an incredible work showcasing how time can freeze within a living space, like a closet. Check out more new art installations debuting in NYC this month here!
13. The March, NYC – June 25, 12:00 pm (FREE)
The classic Pride March this year will feature queer icons like Billy Porter and Yasmin Benoit who are the grand marshals of the event. Marchers will head from 5th Ave to 8th St to Christopher Street where they’ll pass the Stonewall Monument. This event also has a rich history, as it first took place 53 years ago, the year after the Stonewall Rebellion. The civil rights demonstration has created recognition for the AIDS epidemic over the years. Now, we take a moment at the march to appreciate the love and strength within the LGBTQIA+ community.
14. Bliss Days – June 25, 2:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m
This 21+ celebration of LGBTQ+ womxn includes DJs, dancers, and special guests. All proceeds from the event go towards funding future (free) events by NYC Pride, like Youth Pride and the march! Celebrate the joy and love there is within the queer womxn community on June 25 at The DL (95 Delancey St., New York, Tickets are $31.50, 21+.
15. Lavinia! screening at Stonewall or on Zoom – June 29, 7:00 pm
The movie, Lavinia!, is based on a musical created by the actor and director of Doing Time with Lavinia. The film centers around Lavinia Draper and her life as an understudy on Broadway. The event takes place at Stonewall, but if you live in Queens and can’t travel that distance or simply don’t want to get up after a long day of pride celebration: there’s a Zoom option too!
16. A District Defined: Streets, Sex, and Survival in the Meatpacking District
This photography exhibition opens on June 22nd and highlights queer stories, specifically queer nightlife. These images aren’t new: most come from the 1990s, like Lyndsey Addario’s photography of trans sex workers in 1999. Honoring these people who have paved the way for current queer liberation is incredibly important, especially during pride month. Some of the art will be on sale and part of the proceeds will go to the American LGBTQ+ Museum.