June might be Pride Month, but there’s major events happening across the year, whether you’re in Sydney, who have a parade in June and in February to better align with their summer season, or Taipei, who shift celebrations to the (slightly, for them) milder month of October. Here’s how to celebrate Pride around the world.
New York
We’re going straight in with a whopper. There’s two things New York is particularly known for: it’s friendliness towards the LGBTQ+ community, and parades. Lots of them. Put them together and you have one of the greatest pride events in the world – NYC Pride.
Taking place every June, NYC Pride is extra special because the city’s home to the Stonewall Inn where the modern gay rights movement pretty much began when the first stone was thrown 55 years ago. The Stonewall Inn was actually designated a federally recognized monument back in 2016 by Barack Obama – the first historic LGBTQ+ site to do so. And this year it’s even getting a visitor centre at 51 Christopher Street. Acting as an education resource, it’ll be full of immersive experiences as well as programs and tours, and even a dedicated theatre space.
There’ll always be all sorts going on, including Yankees Pride Nights, where a proportion of ticket proceeds on certain games goes towards The Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative (plus you get a nifty baseball cap with a Yankees logo in the Pride rainbow), Youth Pride, club events and the PrideFest street party, but the star of the show is always the NYC Pride March. Departing from 25th Street and 5th Avenue, usually on the last Sunday in June, you’re guaranteed some very familiar faces as Grand Marshals along the route.
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Sydney
Sydney takes Pride seriously – it really is a month long party down there, with a chocka four weeks of stuff, from cabaret performances to drag revues, trivia nights to dance parties, and gallery exhibitions to film screenings.
If you want to double down on your history, you can book a tour with The Fabulous Wonder Mama who’ll take you on a campy tour of Sydney’s most famous LGBTQ+ sites – Oxford Street, the Stonewall Hotel, the Oxford Hotel, and Darlinghurst Bookshop.
If it’s a march you’re after, you might be better coming back in February for Sydney’s other major Pride event (June is their winter, after all): the annual Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. A parade and party, it travels down Oxford Street alongside mega floats and thousands of visitors and has been doing so since 1978, when a small group of protestors gathered in the city’s Darlinghurst neighbourhood and were met with police violence and arrested (homosexuality was still a crime at the time). Today it’s a major spot on the city’s events calendar, loved by those within and without the community.
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Amsterdam
The first country in the world to legalise gay marriage back in 2001, the Netherlands have some serious LGBTQ+ chops, with the much-loved Amsterdam one of the most progressive cities on the planet. They even unveiled the first ‘homomonument’ in 1987, dedicated to all LGBTQ+ people killed during WW2 through to the present day.
Pride Park (AKA Vondelpark) is the heart of the festivities and where everything kicks off – it’s where you’ll find events aimed at different age groups, like StudentPride and JuniorPride. Plus it’s where the official Pride March will eventually end up after departing from Amstelveld – the same spot the first ever Dutch Pride March started from back in 1977 – at 11am and winding its way through Utrechtsestraat, Rembrandtplein, and Leidsestraat.
But wait! There’s another pride parade, only this time you’ll to take to the canals in one of the most iconic events in the city. The Canal Parade begins at Oosterdok and sees 80 boats all designed around that year’s theme take to the water.
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São Paulo
If you wanna go where the real party is, you’ve gotta go to Brazil. Rio de Janeiro know how to throw a parade, sure, but Sao Paulo is where it’s really at – it’s home to the world’s biggest Pride parade (we’re talking MILLIONS of partiers). To give a proper idea of scale, the only event it comes second to is Carnival.
Usually taking place the Sunday after the feast of Corpus Christi, the parade winds its way slowly down Avenida Paulista, the city’s main thoroughfare, with flags, floats, costumes and music, but the party actually starts a week before with parties and gatherings leading up to the parade itself. We’re talking dance parties, drag performances, street fairs, concerts, and all sorts of other cultural activities. Look out for Largo do Arouche and Pinheiros – both of these spots are extra popular, especially when it comes to their inclusive nightlife.
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Berlin
Like Amsterdam, Berlin is another one of the gay capitals of Europe. It’s also a clubbing capital, so really Berlin and Pride are a match made in LGBTQ+ heaven. Its annual pride march attracts nearly a million visitors and is actually named after Christopher Street, home to the Stonewall Inn.
Think of the march as more like an open-air street festival, with DJs, raves, and performances. It starts at Leipziger Straße and ends spectacularly at the Brandenburg Gate with a huge concert that goes on long into the night (look out for special guests too).
If nearly a million fellow marchers sounds a little intimidating, Berlin’s still got your back. Running side by side with the main march is another, smaller one called Kreuzberg Pride – it’s a little less politicised, and with more of a local vibe to it so if you fancy something more chill, this is it.
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Taipei
Taiwan made history in May 2019 by becoming the first country in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage. First held in 2003, today Taiwan Pride is the largest LGBTQ+ event in Asia. Held annually, it’s usually on the last Saturday in October.
The parade typically starts at Taipei City Hall and then winds its way through major streets in the city, including stops at key locations like the Presidential Office Building. Think plenty of colourful floats, music, and performances. Buy beyond the parade, there’s concerts, parties, film screenings and art exhibitions. We mean it when we say they take it seriously here!
Pride celebrations in Taiwan have significantly impacted the cultural landscape over the years, and high-profile politicians and public figures often participate each year. And now it serves as an inspiration for other countries in Asia and around the world.
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