There’s no way around it: Pride Month won’t be the same without all the parades, concerts, and dance parties. But at least there’s a full menu of online happenings designed to uplift LGBTQ culture and community. Whatever your interests — whatever your style — a whole world of queer people is out there, just waiting to (virtually) gather. Here’s a roundup of the year’s best local and not-so-local Pride events.
Raise your voice: Voices of Pride offers a virtual benefit concert, produced in partnership with the New York City Dyke March and the Reclaim Pride Coalition. Organizers have urged participants to remember the roots of pride parades: riots and protests. Accordingly, the event raises funds for the Emergency Release fund, an organization working for the release of transgender and queer New Yorkers from city jails where COVID-19 cases have skyrocketed. Representatives from the Dyke March and Reclaim Pride Coalition will offer tips about online organizing and social justice activism within the queer community. And the concert itself boasts an eclectic lineup featuring folk-rocker Blair Medina Baldwin, singer-songwriter Cheeyang Ng, and many, many more. June 6, 8-10:30 p.m., eventbrite.com.
Big on banjo: Porch Pride: A Queer-antine Festival showcases queer roots musicians with 10-plus hours of livestreaming. Organized by San Francisco-based Bluegrass Pride, the event raises funds for LGBTQ bluegrass musicians who are unable to perform (and therefore unable to earn an income) due to venue closures and show cancellations. June 27-28, bluegrasspride.net
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What about Boston? Boston Pride’s big annual concert is scheduled for June 13 — though the musical talent won’t be announced until Saturday. Here’s one thing we do know: Mix 104.1 FM’s Fast Freddy will help host the livestream festivities. We also know Boston Pride has put together a slew of online events to compensate for its canceled parade, including a June 5 flag-raising over City Hall Plaza (with Governor Charlie Baker and Mayor Marty Walsh) to mark the 50th anniversary of pride celebrations in the city. bostonpride.org
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Sing your heart out: Another highlight from the 2020 Boston Pride schedule, Queerantine Queeraoke promises sets by DJs and queer musicians with plenty of room to sing and dance along. June 11-12, bostonpride.org
Move with pride: So you can’t dance with others in the streets this year, but at least you can shake it with this digital dance festival. The Dancing Queerly Virtual Festival, sponsored by Boston Pride, will include live conversations, pop-up dance workshops, and lessons by expert dance teachers. June 19-21, www.bostonpride.org
Latinx style: The official dance party for Washington, D.C.'s Latinx Pride Festival is called La Fiesta en Casa and it features a Latinx Digital Drag Fest. The fest will feature Florida-based drag queen, comedian, and dancer Lady J Monroe and burlesque performer Eva Mystique among many others. June 26, 8 to 11 p.m., $5-$10, eventbrite.com
Southern style: Make it a Sunday with this digital drag brunch. Hosted by Birmingham, Ala.-based drag queen, actor, and makeup artist Sharon Cocx, the event features performers from the area like witch and “Diva of the Damned” Reese Eve Cocx and “The Woodland Glamazon of Birmingham” Fawn Dell Wood to name a few. June 7, noon, $10, eventbrite.com.
Forever a hero: Boston Pride has a bunch of virtual workshops and panels in store. One highlight is drag queen Miss Rhonda Boutan’s discussion with Eric Cervini, author of “The Deviant’s War: The Homosexual vs. the United States of America." This brand-new book tells the story of Frank Kameny, the fired Army astronomer who fought the US government’s 1950s “Lavender Scare” tactics against gay and lesbian workers. June 5, 6-7:30 p.m., bostonpride.org
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History in heels: Meanwhile, the organizers of Indy Pride host a fireside chat with drag performers dropping a little history on their art form in relation to Pride. June 7, 7:30 p.m., eventbrite.com
Beef and buns: Break out the cooking gear for Boston Pride’s Queerly Cooking, with personal chef Jonil Casado (of Flavors of your Palate) demonstrating how to to make a Caribbean burger. June 6, 6 p.m., bostonpride.org