Where to Celebrate Pride, This Month and Every Month

Pride doesn’t have to stop at the end of the parade route. We’re keeping the rainbow shining all year long in cities big and small, states red and blue.

Pride Month is always a party, but this year -- the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising in New York City-- ups the ante. WorldPride 2019 -- of which Thrillist is a proud media partner and sponsor -- commemorates that historic event with a month-long flurry of activities throughout NYC, making it the capital of all things rainbow-colored this June. But fret not: You don’t have to be in the Big Apple to join the celebration. In fact, Pride doesn’t need to be a one-off event relegated to just one month in the summer.

To prove it, we’ve gathered intel from our in-the-know writers and editors all over the country to present your essential guide to Pride, this month and beyond. Wanna catch the best parades? We’ve got a line on the country’s most special celebrations, plus all the info you need to close out Pride month in NYC, San Francisco, Chicago, and Seattle. We’re also taking a deeper look at surprising, close-to-home celebrations that remind us what Pride is all about -- the enduring radical queerness of the Dyke March, but also one of the country’s best, most-inclusive Pride parades, in a place you’d least expect it: Salt Lake City

The queer liberation was born in June, but that doesn’t mean we have to hide our shine the rest of the time. If you missed your local, homegrown Pride march, we’ve got the 411 on queer events going on throughout the year, from trans-friendly adult summer camps to the over-the-top gay fantasia that is New Orleans’ Southern Decadence. And speaking of the Crescent City, we’ve got the low-down on the best gay bars and LGBTQ nightlife from coast to coast in destinations like NOLA, Los Angeles, New York, Miami, and Vegas.

Looking to support our LGBTQ brethren in seemingly scary red states? We took a comprehensive look at the most-welcoming cities and burghs so you’ll never feel alone, no matter where you roam. To that end, we’re also highlighting our favorite queer-friendly international destinations -- those places where traveling is not only safe, but heartily welcoming. 

However you identify yourself -- L, G, B, T, Q, or any of the beautifully evolving letters in queer nomenclature -- now’s the time to let your rainbow flag fly. 

Seattle Pride | Courtesy of Colin Bishop

The Greatest Pride Celebrations in America, According to Drag Queens

By Melissa Kravitz

Who better to rec some raucous parties than the people who have seen and done it all, drag queens? Click for full story...

Salt Lake City Pride | http://Mehmet Dilsiz/Shutterstock

How Salt Lake City, of All Places, Built America’s Most Impressive Pride Celebration

By Kastalia Medrano

Organizers in one of America's most conservative, religious states throw a kickass Pride celebration each year. Click for full story...

The Folsom Street Fair can get… colorful. | Tristan Savatier/Moment/Getty

15 Can’t Miss Queer Events Happening in the U.S. This Summer

By Adam Groffman

Pride doesn’t have to stop at the end of the parade route. Throw on some glitter and keep the love flowing all summer with these fun LGBTQ events. Click for full story...

Jason Hoffman/Thrillist

The Most LGBTQ-Friendly City in Every Red State

By Thrillist Travel

The US is still a sea of red, but don’t be discouraged: The arc of American history is long, and it is rainbow-colored. Click for full story...

San Juan, Puerto Rico | Martin Wheeler/EyeEm/Getty

7 Incredibly Cool LGBTQ-Friendly Destinations Around the World

By Adam Groffman and David Duran

The locals will be just as quick to ignore your LGBTQ status as they are to welcome you to town. Click for full story...

Celebrate Pride Near You
NYC Pride March | Jess Pomponio/Shutterstock

All the Best NYC Pride Month Events You Can Hit This June

By Kyler Alvord

Count down to the NYC Pride March with dance parties, concerts, rallies, fundraisers, and more. Click for full story...

Dykes on Bikes | Thomas Hawk/flickr

Your Ultimate Guide to Pride in San Francisco

By Daisy Barringer

This year, SF shows its support for the LGBTQ community with a two-day festival and packed schedule of events, parties, and Pride marches. Click for full story...

Chicago Pride | Xinhua/Wang Ping/Getty Images

How to Join the Pride Festivities in Chicago This Year

By Elizabeth Atkinson

Chicagoans are kicking off summer with a joyous, rainbow-hued celebration of inclusion, presided by the city’s first openly gay mayor, Lori Lightfoot. Click for full story...

Seattle Pride | Suzi Pratt/FilmMagic/Getty

Everything You Need to Know About Seattle’s 2019 Pride Parade

By Bradley Foster

Seattle's Pride festival started small -- the inaugural event in 1974 saw no more than 50 people attend. Today it’s one of the country's most popular LGBTQ events. Click for full story…

Miami Beach Pride | Atomazul/shutterstock

Why Miami is the Greatest Gay Destination in America

By Brandon Thorp

South Florida is one of the great gay havens in America. Hell, it's one of the great gay havens of the world. From Fort Lauderdale to South Beach to Key West, here’s where you’ll find the heart of gay SoFla. Click for full story…

Henrietta Hudson | Molly Adams

The 16 Best LGBTQ Bars in NYC

By Kyler Alvord & Melissa Kravitz

The Stonewall Inn is just the beginning. From quirky neighborhood dives to pop-up parties, there’s queer nightlife to be found in all five boroughs. Click for full story…

NOLA Gay Bars | Oz New Orleans

10 LGBTQ Bars To Check Out In New Orleans, The Most ‘Anything Goes’ City in America

By Missy Wilkinson

NOLA’s queer community sowed the seeds for the LGBTQ rights movement,  and solidified this town’s reputation as a haven for creative expression and open-mindedness. Click for full story…

Precinct | @jeremylucido

The 12 Best LGBTQ Bars in Los Angeles

By Stephan Horbelt

LA’s legacy of liquor and licentiousness endures, with multiple gayborhoods and LGBTQ bars where you can celebrate Pride 365 days a year (or at least until closing time). Click for full story…

Vegas Gay Bars | The Phoenix Bar & Lounge

The Best Spots for LGBTQ Nightlife in Vegas

By Robert Kachelriess and Nicole Rupersburg

On and off the Strip, you’ll find welcoming gay and gay-adjacent bars, pool parties, drag brunches, variety shows, and all manner of campy, naked fun. This is Vegas, after all. Click for full story…

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EDITORIAL

Editors: Keller Powell, Joseph Hernandez, Amber Sutherland-Namako, Alex Robinson, Gianni Jaccoma, James Chrisman
Writers: Joseph Hernandez, Melissa Kravitz, Kastalia Medrano, Ruby Anderson, Adam Groffman, David Duran, Kyler Alvord, Daisy Barringer, Elizabeth Atkinson, Bradley Foster, Brandon Thorp, Missy Wilkinson, Stephan Horbelt, Robert Kachelriess and Nicole Rupersburg
Production: Ruby Anderson, Kyler Alvord, Paul Pierre-Louis

CREATIVE

Design Director: Ted McGrath
Photo Director: Drew Swantak
Motion Graphics Designer: Megan Chong
Illustrated Type: Jason Hoffman