What will Pride Month look like in 2020?

Hundreds of pride parades were postponed or canceled amid the global pandemic, leaving millions with the same question at hand: How will I celebrate Pride Month this year? Fortunately, the answer is here! Here is what it will look like, along with its positives and negatives.

Every June, millions of people go out on the streets to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community around the world, but Pride Month also serves a more serious purpose that must not be overlooked. June is used for commemorating those who died in the struggle for equality and to raise awareness about current issues that affect much of the world’s LGBT+ population. Hence, the cancelation of more than 500+ Pride parades left many disappointed at the fact that this could be the year where the LGBT+ struggles were ignored.

But as the LGBT community has proved time and again, their spirit will not be stopped.  In looking for ways to move Pride Month forward, national and International leaders have come together in unprecedented ways to organize more than 1,500 online parades open to any and all who wish to sign in. Not only that, but LGBT leaders are also in the midst of organizing the first-ever Global Pride Parade. 

The event, which will take place on June 27, will host a range of speakers including presidents, prime ministers, pop superstars, and LGBT+ world-famous leaders for a 24-hour live stream expected to be viewed by 300 million people. 

But even as exciting as the prospect may sound, many still express concerns that it will not be the same as a physical parade. And the truth is that it won’t. Part of what makes parades so powerful is the sense of unity that comes from marching together and recognizing the beauty in one another. 

How online parades will recreate that feeling is unclear yet, but on the other hand, online events are incorporating other features only possible through the internet, such as having citizens of every country tunning in at the same time to learn about LGBT+ issues all over the world.

In addition, the LGBT+ community of socially conservative countries without a Pride Month will greatly benefit from being able to take part in Pride celebrations along with the rest of the world and learn about issues that arent easily disseminated where they live.

Regardless of the pandemic, LGBT+ issues still happen, and we can’t afford to ignore them. As LGBT+ leaders and organizers have shown, our current circumstances may very well prove to be a demonstration of how the LGTB+ community can adapt to new challenges and increase their base around the world. 

For that, Pride Palace will continue to inform the community about all of the LGBT+ events happening online, so make sure you stay tuned!