It’s finally June, which means Pride Month is here. Pride Month, which celebrates the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) community, is observed each year in the month of June to honor the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan, a tipping point for the Gay Liberation Movement in the United States.
Celebrations in the Louisville area often include pride parades, concerts and more, but everything will look a little different this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. Earlier this year, organizers over the 2021 Kentuckiana Pride Festival announced it would move from its usual dates in June to October.
The two-day event will now happen Oct. 8-9 on the Big Four Lawn at Louisville’s waterfront.
“The health + safety of attendees, staff, vendors + entertainers has been our priority,” Kentuckiana Pride tweeted at the time. “Safety info will be released close to the event.”
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But there’s still plenty of pride to be found in June. From fundraisers to awareness and a mini-drag show, here are some LGBTQ events taking place in the Louisville area for Pride Month.
Nowhere Bar donations
WHAT: To celebrate Pride month Nowhere Bar will donate $1 to Kentuckiana Pride for every Tito’s Handmade cocktail sold through June 1-30.
WHERE: 1133 Bardstown Road
MORE INFORMATION: 502-451-0466
Drag Queen Storytime: Pride Month Reading Event
WHAT: Enjoy dinner with the family and friends, reading entertainment and a mini drag show.
WHERE:Cafe 360, 1582 Bardstown Road
WHEN: 6-8:30 p.m. June 8
INFORMATION: Admission is $5. louisvillepride.com; eventbrite.com/e/pride-month-reading-event-tickets-154781970039.
‘HEROES: A Live-Sung Pride Revue’
WHAT: Drag Daddy Productions the creators of “Alice in Derbyland” and “Snow White and the Seven Drag Queens” present this musical revue celebrating the LGBTQIA heroes of the cast with nods to your favorite comic book heroes. Performers include Gilda Wabbit, Diana Rae, Uhstel H. Valentine, Philip Clemons, William Nickles, Cortney Thompson, Shelby Brown and more.
WHERE:Play Dance Bar, 1101 E. Washington St.
WHEN: June 5 and 12, 7:30 p.m.
MORE INFORMATION: Tickets are $10 and are available on Facebook.
Black Trans Stories Matter (Live True Storytelling Performance)
WHAT: A live virtual true storytelling performance. The stories that will be featured will be read by the people who lived them and were crafted in a Black trans-led space.
WHERE: Online
WHEN: 7-9 p.m. June 12
MORE INFORMATION: $20 suggested donation. louisvillepride.com; tmiproject.salsalabs.org/black-trans-stories-matter-performance/index.html.
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Indy Pride Virtual Festival
WHAT: Pride 2021 Virtual Festival Presented by Salesforce. This year’s event includes a full line-up of entertainment with new interactive participants including LGBTQ-supporting community organizations, new resources, shopping with LGBTQ-owned and LGBTQ-embracing businesses in the vendor villages and more.
WHERE: online
WHEN: noon June 12
MORE INFORMATION: IndyPride.org/Live
LGBTQ+ Community Response Network
WHAT: A space for community leaders and organizers to come together to ask questions, share resources, formulate ideas, and make connections. Organized by the Fairness Campaign and Louisville Pride. Email daniel@louisvillepride.com to get involved.
WHERE: Zoom
WHEN: 4-5 p.m. June 15
MORE INFORMATION: After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Register in advance for this meeting: zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEuf-utqD4jHdczQ-7qxBSpBS9XljgbRaBm.
Hiding In Plain Sight: A Brief History of the LGBTQ Community in Old Louisville
WHAT: Part of Conrad-Caldwell Museum Thirsty Thursday Summer Evening Lecture Series. Presented by David Williams, who has been an activist in the LGBTQ+ Community since 1982. In that year, he founded the Williams-Nichols Collection, believed to be one of the largest LGBTQ+ archives and libraries in the country.
WHERE: Zoom
WHEN: 7 p.m. June 24
MORE INFORMATION: Partially funded by Kentucky Humanities and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Free. Register at: conrad-caldwell.org/thirsty-thursday.
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Robley Rex VA Medical Center 6th Annual Pride Fest
WHAT: The festival celebrates the LGBTQ+ community and builds connections among veterans, their families, staff, and the larger community. Features music by DJ J Lynn, light refreshments, opportunity to participate in a drumming circle, door prizes, health resource information and VA Swag. Also, speakers will share educational information and personal stories.
WHERE: 800 Zorn Ave.
WHEN: 1-3 p.m. June 25
MORE INFORMATION: Moderna COVID-19 vaccinations will be available on-demand for veterans, spouses, widows, and informal caregivers. Free. facebook.com.
Reach news clerk Gege Reed at greed@courier-journal.com.
