When you think of Pride, probably the first thing that comes to mind are bright, rainbow-filled parades full of happy, totally fabulous participants. But with social distancing putting a crimp in your Pride plans, you’re going to have to look for ways to continue the celebrations despite staying home. So during the month of June, these ways to celebrate Pride at home can make life for your family more colorful and make you feel even closer.
Pride is all about love and inclusivity, which is why so much of how it’s celebrated focuses on being together and creating a sense of community. That’s why it’s important to remember that while you can’t necessarily be up close and personal with 10,000 fellow Pride parade goers, you can still fly your flag loud and proud and encourage your kiddos to do the same. In fact, switching gears this year due to social distancing might actually give your family a newfound understanding of Pride beyond the rainbows and help understand what it really means to love yourself and accept others for exactly who they are.
Still, there’s nothing wrong with serving up some looks during your stay-at-home celebrations that would make any drag queen proud. So here’s how to celebrate Pride at home with the people who make you most proud—your family.
1. Take A Virtual Tour
Depending on how old your child is, they may or may not know about the Stonewall Riots of 1969, considered by many to have been the impetus of the gay rights movement. So take a tour of the Stonewall Inn in New York City, and see the site where it all began.
2. Serve Up The Rainbow
When it comes to colors that represent Pride, well, it really is the rainbow. From drinks to sweets and treats, make sure that every color under the rainbow is represented. You might want to serve a veggie train full of better-for-you snacks (think yellow banana, oranges, red apples, green grapes, and so on), And when the kiddos are in bed, you can always bar hop—from your living room to the dining room, to the kitchen—drinking a colorful drink along the way.
3. Fly A Flag
By far, the most symbolic sign of Pride is the rainbow flag. That’s why you should snag the biggest one you can find and display it outside your door. You can even find smaller rainbow flags for your kids to wave while they partake in Pride activities at home.
4. Buy LGBTQ+ Gear
Supporting LGBTQ+ artists is a great way to participate in Pride. You might want to score a shirt, put a poster on your wall, or even some sweet stickers for your child’s notebook. Do some online shopping to see what catches your fancy, and know that your purchase can directly help positively impact Pride.
5. Understand The Issues
Take some time during Pride to learn what the LGBTQ+ community is currently facing. From hate crimes that are still being committed against the community, to bullying in schools, it’s important to know what kids are going through so that you can educate yourself and your family.
6. Go To A Virtual Pride Parade
Just because you can’t get to a Pride parade IRL doesn’t mean that you still can’t participate in one. Cities like Denver and San Francisco are hosting virtual Pride parades in June. They’ll have live as well as pre-recorded performances, music, and drag queens and you can enjoy them from your couch.
7. Decorate Your Digs
When it comes to Pride, the more color, the better. So if your space is a little neutral, it’ll serve as the perfect palette for rainbows and bright bursts of color coming from everywhere. You might want to hang up streamers, place colorful cushions on your couch, or even light a candle hang a wreath.
8. Put Together A Pride Playlist
What’s a party without some amazing music? Have your kids pick out some songs that they love, and you can also include some Pride songs that will get the party started. You can go for classics like “YMCA” by the Village People, or “I’m Coming Out” by Diana Ross, but be sure to include songs from today that your kids will also enjoy.
9. Get Dressed
Sure, you might be stuck at home, but that doesn’t mean you should be wearing sweats. After all, you wouldn’t dare show up to a Pride parade wearing yoga pants and no makeup, right? Get everyone dressed as if they were going to the party of the year — because when it comes to Pride, they are.
10. Read To Your Kiddos
When you’re tucking your child into bed, break out a book that talks about big issues relating to Pride. Our Rainbow tells the story of how the rainbow flag came to be, including the black and brown stripes that are inclusive of Black and people of color within the LGBTQ community. Or you might read Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and The Rainbow Flag, for a bit of historical perspective.
11. Make Some Art
Pride is all about self-expression, which is why making art with your child is a great way to spend some quality time together. If you’re stuck on what to do, you can always look online for a Pride craft, or simply crack open the crayons and paper and start coloring some rainbows. For little kids, it can also help them reinforce their knowledge of their colors.
12. Host A Virtual Pride Party
You’ve already been using the video conferencing platform already for your kid’s school sessions, so why not use it for something fun for once? With everyone at home celebrating Pride separately, host a party through the power of Zoom. Set a time for everyone to put on their finest frock, have something tasty to drink, and get ready to connect virtually.
13. Watch A Movie
Get ready to start streaming, because there are so many great films out there that deal with Pride and what it means to be true to yourself. For the tween and teen set, you can watch The Most Dangerous Year, which deals with transgender youth, or the classic, To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything, Julie Newmar, which has everything from a road trip, to friendship—to fabulous drag queens.
14. Expand Your Family
Chances are, your child might have a classmate in the LGBTQ+ community who’s having a tough time. So invite them into your home (virtually, of course) and celebrate Pride together. Let them know that you’re here to listen, to offer an ear, and give out lots of remote hugs—until you can deliver them in person.
15. Make The Connection
Although it’s been some 50+ years since the Stonewall Riots occurred in New York City, sadly, there is still rioting happening there and in many major parts of the U.S. due to the murder of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arberry. You can show your child what it means to protest against injustice, whether it’s because of race, religion, or sexual orientation. It can help your kid understand that the majority of people on this planet are good, and are willing to stand up when there’s discrimination of any kind.
Although you might miss Pride like it was in previous years, you can still learn to celebrate Pride at home…and rock that rainbow.