It’s Pride Month! At Clarity, equity, inclusion and support of our LGBTQIA+ community members is not limited to 4 weeks a year, and happens all year round. However, June is historically a great time to focus on issues affecting this community, which is very much a part of our community at large. Whether you identify as LGBT, QIA+, any chosen queer or non-cis category or are an ally, we see you and support you! If you’ve been following us for a while, you know that our home base is in NYC, so in this post we’re highlighting some ways to celebrate Pride this month locally and some organizations we’re proud to call our client partners that you should know about. If you’re looking for an organization to support and access resources from ー any time of year ー we hope you’ll consider them.
Not only a meaningful organization to our community due to our close relationship by way of being a client partner we recruit for, they’re also an organization we admire due to their abundance of resources for the LGBT communityー and this year marks 40 years of The Center’s impactful work. The Center, whose complete name is New York City’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center, has a mission to empower people to lead healthy, successful lives. The Center celebrates our diversity and advocates for justice and opportunity. We’re listing them here because of their abundance of resources for LGBT folks from career services, health and advocacy, events programming, arts, culture, family and a focus on youth. Check out their mission here, and learn more about what The Center is working on and how you can get involved here.
Did you know 21 states in the US have banned people that are trans from playing sports ー even youth sports? This is just one example of pervasive exclusion amongst LGBTQI+ in sports, including at the collegiate and professional levels. Athlete Ally, another organization we’re proud to partner with in their recruitment efforts, believes that everyone should have equal access, opportunity, and experience in sports — regardless of your sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. Their mission is to end homophobia and transphobia in sports and to activate the athletic community to exercise their leadership to champion LGBTQI+ equality.
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
Lincoln Center is hosting many events this month with Pride at center stage! A New York Institution and internationally recognized center of culture, art and performance, LCPA is thrilled to be on the other side of the pandemic and offering ー for all audiences ー inclusive, inspiring in-person programming. From films, family events, concerts, staged readings, silent discos, and social dance nights under the stars at Summer for the City, this year’s Pride is one to celebrate! Check out the full calendar of events this month here: Lincoln Center Spotlight On: LGBTQIA+ Pride
MORE Pride Events in NYC:
The official theme for NYC Pride 2023 is “Strength in Solidarity,” a theme we can get behind!
Event: NEWFEST – Pride Film Festival
Dates: June 1-5th
About: A 5-day festival event celebrating our community’s legacy and exciting contemporary stories! Featuring premiere screenings, conversations, and parties, NewFest Pride is a moment to gather and revel in our rich community’s past, present, and future.
Event: Reading Rainbow Kiki Ball
Date: Friday, June 9th
About: At the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Reading is Fundamental. The Reading Rainbow Kiki Ball celebrates LGBTQIA+ Pride and honors the skills and style that have made ballroom the cultural force it is today while also honoring contemporary dancers of the form. Courtney “Balenciaga” Washington’s MasterZ at Work Dance Family kicks off the festivities performing Works & Process commissioned dances in the library’s Bruno Walter Auditorium.
Date: June 14th, 2023
About: The Queens are in the Garden! Get your pride on and enjoy an evening of drag performances hosted by the incomparable queen, Marti Cummings, at the place where people, plants, and cultures meet! This year we have three amazing performers: Nani Tsunami, Janae SaisQuoi, and our host Marti Cummings. We’ll also have Pride-themed crafts available for all ages. Food and beverages (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) available for purchase. Included in ticket fee are after-hours access to the Garden, drag queen performances, DJ music, and crafts.
Event: Juneteenth LGBTQIA+ Brunch
Date: June 18th, 2023
About: An indulgent culinary experience including a sponsored open bar for VIP ticket holders, a curation of Juneteenth food stories and bites from amazing Black LGBTQIA+ chefs. This annual event celebrates local business leaders and the impact they have made on their Queer communities. In 2023 we will continue the celebration of Black LGBTQIA+ leaders in our community by highlighting folx doing amazing work in the business sector.
And last but certainly not least, the epic culmination of the entire month of celebration ends with the Pride March!
Date: June 25th
With participants hailing from across the city and across the world, this is a celebratory spectacle you don’t want to miss!
About: All you need to know about the NYC Pride March and additional related events can be found HERE.
Happy Pride to all!
-Team Clarity
