The first Pride March was a shift from assimilation to liberation strategies, one of the main points was to become visible. Yet, communities were still marginalized and not ALL queer identities were celebrated and given the same platform. It is also critical to recognize and make visible the many intersectional identities and diversity that lives within the queer community, including queer people of color.

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• The Trans Day of Action and accompanying march is organized by the Audre Lorde Project and is focused on resistance. From their website, “On this day, we take to the streets and demand the right to make decisions about our bodies, expressions, specifically by taking up space where we’re told there is none.” If you do not identify as transgender or gender non-conforming you can also take their training to become a Community Safety volunteer during the march.

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• The Dyke March is a space for any person who identifies as a dyke to march, as “a demonstration of our First Amendment right to protest and takes place without permits or sponsors. We recognize that we must organize among ourselves to fight for our rights, safety, and visibility.”

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• The Drag March was created in 1994 after the Stonewall 25 committee requested that nobody marching wear drag. It takes place on the Friday before Pride.

The first Pride March in 1970 was a political protest. Although the Official NYC Pride March no longer feels like a protest, there are other marches that are still protests.

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• The Queer Liberation March is being organized by the Reclaim Pride Coalition to follow the original Pride route and is focused on queer liberation and protest.  

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• The Trans Day of Action and accompanying march is organized by the Audre Lorde Project and is focused on resistance. From their website, “On this day, we take to the streets and demand the right to make decisions about our bodies, expressions, specifically by taking up space where we’re told there is none.” If you do not identify as transgender or gender non-conforming you can also take their training to become a Community Safety volunteer during the march.

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• The Dyke March is a space for any person who identifies as a dyke to march, as “a demonstration of our First Amendment right to protest and takes place without permits or sponsors. We recognize that we must organize among ourselves to fight for our rights, safety, and visibility.” The Dyke March calls out on their website that they are a protest march, not a parade.

Pride started as a riot, history that is no longer present in most of the marches today. As a purpose of Pride, commemoration of history means both the history of Pride and the Stonewall Riots, but also the history of the gay liberation movement, including the exclusion of transgender rights.

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• The New York Public Library has an exhibit, “Love & Resistance: Stonewall 50,” with accompanying events and selected resources.

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• The Brooklyn Museum has an exhibition, “Nobody Promised You Tomorrow: Art 50 Years After Stonewall”

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• Bluestockings Bookstore, Cafe & Activist Center has many resources regarding queer history and ongoing events and book talks.

Craig Schnoomaker, in a 2015 podcast interview said, “First thought was ‘Gay Power’. I didn’t like that, so proposed gay pride. There’s very little chance for people in the world to have power. People did not have power then; even now, we only have some. But anyone can have pride in themselves, and that would make them happier as people, and produce the movement likely to produce change...”

 

Pride is still a time to celebrate queer identity and there are many ways to do so.

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• Visit a queer bar! Give your money back into the queer community while also drinking and dancing. Bars include Stonewall, Cubbyhole, Three Dollar Bill, Henrietta Hudson, Gingers, and many other gay bars. Gay nights hosted by queer performers also include Be Cute at Littlefield and Hot Rabbit.

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• If you still want an out in the streets celebratory feel that can come with the Official NYC Pride March, consider attending a local borough pride march, such as Brooklyn Pride. Much smaller in scale, borough marches do not tend to have many large corporations present and have more of a community feel.

The creation of queer community and culture is a purpose I believe is integral to continuing the work and feeling of Pride throughout the rest of the year; however, I think it can also be the most difficult to find and participate in, especially if you do not already have an established queer community. Below are some ideas of events that could help create your own queer community. Most of these are not only during Pride month, but are recurring throughout the year.  

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• Join an organizing committee such as the Dyke March or volunteer for a queer organization.

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• Attend a meetup or community focused event such as Babetown, Dyke Bar Takeover, or Queer Girl on the Q Line. These often meet during the day or early evening and are more focused on conversation than night bar events.

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• There are a variety of support groups at The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center that meet weekly to monthly.