How to celebrate Pride during the pandemic

Companies getting involved and donating to charity

There’s been a long history of companies using Pride as an excuse to flog more merchandise and products than they normally would to make a sizeable profit. It is an issue that hasn’t gone away, but not every pride month initiative is a façade, and it’s important to highlight the ones are supporting the cause in meaningful ways. Many are giving away a hefty chunk of revenue to LGBTQI+ causes over the course of June and are helping to fund events and community initiative across the globe through timed product launches.

The first worth checking out is Zenni’s new Pride eyewear range, which includes patterned sunglasses and specially shaped lenses. All proceeds will go to the It Gets Better Project, a multimedia network platform that provides information and resources to LGBTQI+ community members around the world.

If you’re looking for a more eclectic list of merchandise to purchase then I’d also recommend checking out the Trevor Project’s catalogue of products from a variety of brands that are raising funds for Pride. The Trevor Project provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to anybody in the community who needs them, and all of the companies it mentions are donating to help its cause.

Individuals are taking initiative and celebrating on their own terms

Not every act of celebration has to come from big companies or international live streams, of course. Individuals have been undertaking their own projects over the last few months to help raise awareness about the disproportionate impact that coronavirus is having on the LGBTQI+ community.

One example is Polish couple Dawid Mycek and Jakub Kwiecinski, who produced and distributed over 300 masks for people in their local community. That may seem like a small number in the grand scheme of things, but footage of the two handing out masks went viral online and was watched by millions on Facebook and Instagram. They went on to stress that the situation in Poland has become more hostile toward LGBTQI+ members in recent years, and pushed for a message of solidarity and unity.

Activist Ann Northrop set up last year’s alternative NYC rally to the mainstream Pride outlets called Queen Liberation March, a movement dedicated to calling out other marches and parades for being too corporate and police friendly. This year the movement has shifted to working with those in the community who have been affected by coronavirus, and offers a huge document of resources on its website for anyone to use. Speaking to NBC, Ann said that she’s currently looking at ways to create a replacement for last year’s march, but won’t be integrating with regular digital pride events that she describes as ‘very corporatized 24-hour broadcasts’.

Regardless of whether Pride happens outside or in our homes via Zoom and YouTube, it’s important for these events to still go ahead. Pride is an essential time in our calendar to celebrate and discuss LGBTQI+ matters, and it’s a vital resource for younger members to feel included and accepted. Many young Gen Z students and teens will be joining in for the first time, and it’s essential that they get the opportunity to express themselves as much as those that have come before them.

Pride will still be happening – you just might not hear much fanfare coming from the world’s city streets this time around.