Famous Gay Pride Parade US Locations
Besides being a fabulous dance party, many Pride events feature contingents from nonprofit community groups and LGBT-oriented local businesses. This is how you can support the cause and show your solidarity.
New York City’s Pride festivities are rooted in the 1969 Stonewall Uprising, an act of resistance that inspired the modern gay rights movement. The parade, officially called the Christopher Street Liberation Day march, takes place in late June.
Los Angeles
New York City’s annual Pride events pack in a lot of people for a ten-day celebration. The parade traces its roots back to the Stonewall riots, which happened in June 1969 in Greenwich Village.
The event often has a political edge and campaigns for acceptance, equality, and protections for the community in cities and countries that have yet to implement them. Despite the recent advancements in LGBTQ rights, anti-LGBT laws still exist in more than 70 countries worldwide.
Some pride events have had to push back their dates this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For instance, London Pride will be held in September 2023, allowing residents to get vaccinated and travel restrictions to be lifted.
Key West
The tropical Florida island of Key West, famed for its pastel-hued conch-style houses and renowned coral reefs, is home to a popular gay pride parade. The celebrations are held in June and feature a number of events celebrating diversity, including a march.
While pride marches started as political protests, many LGBTQ+ communities now enjoy such wide acceptance and protection that they are now festivals of love and joy. However, in over 70 countries around the world, anti-LGBTQ+ laws still exist and homosexuals are often targeted for persecution and discrimination.
Capital Pride is a long event in late June that includes a march, rallies, and festivities. It celebrates the struggles, achievements, and pride of the LGBTQ community.
Provincetown
Located at the tip of the hooked-shaped Cape Cod peninsula, Provincetown is a colorful shebang that celebrates LGBTQ culture with gusto. It’s known for having one of the world’s oldest and largest Pride parades in late June.
The event commemorates the Stonewall riots of 1969, which are regarded as the watershed moment that launched the modern gay rights movement. The riots were spurred by a police raid of the Stonewall Inn gay bar on Christopher Street in Greenwich Village.
AC Dumlao (they/he) is the chief of staff at Athlete Ally, an organization that educates and activates athletic communities to eliminate homophobia and transphobia in sports. They also write the Facebook page Call Me They.
Miami
Miami Beach Pride is a party-hard celebration with plenty of events to attend beyond the main parade. You can dine with drag queens, take in a rooftop movie screening, and get splashy at a pool party.
A highlight is the Festival Village, set up near Lummus Park and home to food vendors, merchandise stalls, and information booths for LGBTQ+ organizations. There’s also a stage for performances and speeches, as well as a high-heel race that attracts a mix of twerkers and glamazons.
This year, the event feels a little heavier than usual as Florida lawmakers try to legislate LGBTQ people out of existence. Hence the theme of ‘Unapologetically Us’.
Fort Lauderdale
The pride event in Fort Lauderdale takes place every February or March. A parade is followed by a lively street festival that features food and drink vendors, music, and community organizations.
While the recent passage of anti-drag laws in Republican-controlled states cast a shadow over this year’s celebration, the Fort Lauderdale Pride parade will go on. It will also be held in Wilton Manors, the city’s “gay village.”
The event includes a parade on scenic GAY1A along the beach, block parties, and cultural events. It is one of the oldest Pride celebrations in Florida. This festival is a great opportunity to get to know the local gay community and enjoy its vibrant culture.
Las Vegas
While Pride can be a lot of glitter and rainbows, it also means validation and feeling free. It is also a celebration of survival and community, as well as a call to challenge anti-LGBT laws.
The Big Apple’s Pride Parade is one of the biggest events in the world. It takes place during the month of June and celebrates New York City’s open and welcoming culture. It also commemorates the Stonewall Riots, which is considered a watershed moment in the LGBTQ movement.
The Windy City doesn’t always get the recognition it deserves for its gay pride. However, its annual festival is a major event that includes a parade and weekend of music and performances from the likes of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars season 2 winner Alaska Thunderfuck and boundary-pushing rap and singing sensation CupcakKe.
Atlanta
The largest pride festival in the southeast takes place in Atlanta over an October weekend and has seen crowds of over 300,000 each year. Events include a series of colorful parades, a two-day party in the park spectacular, and a weekend-long schedule of epic circuit events including tea dances and pool parties.
Originally established in 1971, two years after the Stonewall riots in New York, Atlanta Pride is still going strong. The festival is held every October, with the parade stepping off from the Civic Center MARTA station and traveling down Peachtree Street, then turning east onto 10th street to end a block from the Charles Allen gates to Piedmont Park.
Phoenix
For a city that prides itself on being unapologetically its own self, Phoenix’s annual Pride Festival and Parade is a big party. Glittering parade floats, fried foods, and politicians seeking votes abound during this two-day event.
Local creamery and bar, Churn will be offering a Pride-themed flavor this year that will send $1 of every scoop back to pridePHX – a local group that promotes unity, visibility, and self-esteem among the LGBTQ community in Phoenix.
Scottsdale’s Hotel Valley Ho is also getting in on the Pride action this year by donating proceeds from their specially-crafted Prickly Pear Lager to One Community Arizona, Equality Maricopa, and Phoenix Pride. The beer is brewed with kiwi, guava, cherries, and strawberries.