LGBTQ Pride Month is currently celebrated each year in the month of June to honor the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan. The Stonewall Uprising was a tipping point for the Gay Liberation Movement in the United States. Today, celebrations include pride parades, picnics, parties, workshops, symposia and concerts, and LGBTQ Pride Month events attract millions of participants around the world. The purpose of the commemorative month is to recognize the impact that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals have had on history locally, nationally, and internationally.
KNKX has some suggestions for regional events celebrating Pride Month:
Seattle
June 3 from 12 to 7 p.m. at Volunteer Park: Seattle Pride in the Park (sponsored by KNKX) kicks off Seattle’s 49th annual Pride Month celebration at Volunteer Park on Capitol Hill. The celebration features a lineup of LGBTQIA+ performances, a dance stage, beer garden, food trucks, local nonprofit booths, queer vendors, and Drag Queen Storytime with Cookie Couture.
June 9, 7:30 p.m. and June 10, 2 p.m. at the Paramount Theatre: Seattle Men’s Chorus celebrates LGBTQ Pride Month with the iconic music of Disney, including more than 40 songs from classics like The Little Mermaid, The Lion King and Mary Poppins, as well as modern favorites from Coco, Zootopia and Wreck-It Ralph, and many more. The show also features memorable video clips from Disney and Pixar films. Solos and personal stories add connection to Disney’s timeless and universal message of love and acceptance.
June 10, 7 p.m.: Black TRANS Comedy Showcase at SIFF Cinema Egyptian. A benefit for theLavender Rights Project, the showcase promises laughter, community, and resistance while fundraising for Black trans liberation. T.S. Madison hosts with comics Mx. Dahlia Belle, K.J. Whitehead, and a performance by Beyonce Black St. James.
June 10 from 1 to 5 p.m.: Seward Park presents Refuge Day: Pride Edition. Celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community with an all QTPOC artisan market and mini-workshops. This is a free family-friendly event and all are welcome. Refuge Day is a seasonal event series with resources for outdoor recreation beginners, activities, outdoor-focused community organizations, healing practices, DJ sets, and flash learning sessions.
June 23 from 4-8 p.m. at Waterfront Park/Pier 62: The Indigiqueer Festival kicks off Pride weekend with food, drag, music, dance, and more against the backdrop of the Salish Sea.
June 25 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in downtown Seattle: The Seattle Pride Parade (sponsored by KNKX) will again run downtown Seattle along 4th Ave, between Pike St and Denny Way (step off will be at Westlake Park). This LGBTQIA+ reunion is a free, fun, community-wide celebration advancing awareness of LGBTQIA+ issues and promoting mutual respect and equal human rights for all.
Tacoma
Rainbow Center in Tacoma presents a number of Tacoma Pride events beginning on June 30 with the Pride Flag Raising at the Tacoma Dome and including the Tacoma Pride Festival celebration on July 8 in downtown Tacoma.
Bellevue
June 4 from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m.: Downtown Bellevue welcomes the start of Pride month with the first-ever LGBTQIA+ dog jog & walk on the Eastside! The inaugural Paws & Pride Dog Jog & Walk starts at Ashwood Park.
Partial net proceeds of the event registration fees will equally benefit Seattle Humane of Bellevue and Lambert House, a nonprofit organization that empowers lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning youth through the development of leadership, social, and life skills in the greater Seattle area. This non-competitive 4K event will shine a spotlight on Eastside Pride PNW's mission to foster unity, celebrate diversity, and build bridges across communities.
Bellingham
June 9 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.: The Pride IN Bellingham Parade starts at Waypoint Park, up Chestnut St left on Cornwall Ave, right on Champion St, Right on Railroad Ave through the middle of Downtown Bellingham ending at the Festival in Depot Market Square.
Lynnwood
June 9, 8 p.m.: The Born This Way Ball is a tribute to Lady Gaga at the Vessel Taphouse.
Olympia
July 1 from 11:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Port Plaza in Olympia: Capital City Pride presents PRIDE Festival - Remember the Future, Celebrate the Past with music, food, entertainment, and booths.
San Juan Island
June 17 from 4-10 p.m. at the San Juan Island Fairgrounds: The 2023 San Juan Island Pride Festival features two stages, local vendors, food, art, and a merch booth with Pride gear.
Shoreline
June 9 from 4:30 to 9 p.m.: Shoreline Teen Center presents Pride Prom at Richmond Highlands Recreation Center. Pride Prom is a place to celebrate each other, originality and community. All middle and high school aged LGBTQ+ youth and allies are welcome. What to expect: friendly faces. music, food, crafts, video games, a safe and inclusive environment.
Snohomish
June 18 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.: Queer the Sky’s next LGBTQ+ skydive event is at Skydive Snohomish.
The Washington State LGBTQ+ Business Resource Group, RAIN (Rainbow Alliance and Inclusion Network), established via Governor’s Directive 16-11, is focused on advising and developing strategies for creating safe, diverse, and inclusive workplaces for our LGBTQ+ employees, allies, and customers. You can read more here, which includes Pride Month resources.
The collections of the Library of Congress contain many books, posters, sound recordings, manuscripts and other material produced by, about and for the LGBTQ community. The contributions of this community are preserved as part of our nation’s history, and include noted artistic works, musical compositions and contemporary novels.
The Library’s American collections range from the iconic poetry of Walt Whitman through the manuscripts of the founder of LGBTQ activism in Washington, D.C., Frank Kameny.
