Pride Month 2020: What to know about LGBT pride celebrations around the country this weekend
June marks Pride Month and while the celebrations might look a little different this year, they're still in full swing in cities across the country.
Scroll down to learn more about Pride Month or check out our full lineup of Pride programming that you can watch live right here on this page or on our connected TV apps:
Saturday, June 27
FYI Philly - Pride 2020
7 p.m. ET | 6 p.m. CT | 4 p.m. PT
In a year unlike any other, the Delaware Valley is celebrating Pride Month. There is no parade, but celebrations continue and LGBTQ businesses are finding exciting new ways to stay open during the coronavirus pandemic.
LA PRIDE 50th Anniversary Celebration
11 p.m. ET | 10 p.m. CT | 8 p.m. PT
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the LA PRIDE Parade, but because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 parade was canceled. To honor the milestone, ABC7 is hosting "LA PRIDE 50th Anniversary Celebration" to take a look at the progress of the LGBTQ rights campaign as well as the fight for equality for all people. The three-hour event includes celebrity appearances and performances.
Sunday, June 28
NYC Pride 2020: 50th Anniversary of the NYC Pride March
12 p.m. ET | 11 a.m. CT | 9 a.m. PT
Fifty-one years ago, protests in Greenwich Village helped spark change across the country. This year, leaders say it is more important than ever to continue NYC Pride's mission of bringing awareness to and fighting against social injustice. This special is a look back to its roots and a celebration of the community today.
ABC 7 Chicago Celebrates Pride: Fun & Fabulous
5 p.m. ET | 4 p.m. CT | 2 p.m. PT
This celebration of Chicago Pride features a look back at parades of Prides past, musical performances from Katie Kadan, Haley Reinhart and 16 Candles, tributes to LGBTQ first responders as well as LGBTQ people in the fight for justice and equality in the Black Lives Matter movement. The special also features a memorial to Richard Pfeiffer, the man who organized Chicago's Pride parade for the last 50 years.
What to know about Pride Month and Stonewall
In 1969, the Stonewall Inn was part of a Greenwich Village gay scene that remained largely underground. At the time, showing same-sex affection or dressing in a way deemed gender-inappropriate could get people arrested, and bars had lost liquor licenses for serving such people. Some gay nightspots simply operated illegally.
A one-time horse stable in adjoining buildings at 51 and 53 Christopher Street, the Stonewall was a divey, unlicensed spot with darkened windows, black-painted walls and a doorman who scrutinized would-be patrons through a peephole. But it also had a popular, pulsating dance floor that attracted a diverse, largely young crowd.
The police raid in the wee hours of June 28, 1969, stirred a sudden resistance, as patrons and others outside the bar hurled objects at officers. Protests followed over several more days and led to new, more extensive LGBTQ activist groups than the U.S. had seen before.
Today, many communities celebrate Pride Month in June, though some local events are held at different time of the year. Festivals, parades and other events often take place on the last weekend in June to commemorate the Stonewall uprising, which marked its 50th anniversary in 2019. As part of the commemoration, World Pride took place in New York City in what was estimated to be among the largest LGBT events in history based on attendance.
What to expect from Pride Month 2020
2020 marks the 50th anniversary of the first LGBT pride marches, which took place over the summer of 1970. In spite of the landmark anniversary, Pride Month will look very different this year as many events have been adapted to virtual celebrations due to public health considerations related to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
LGBT people across the country are also standing in solidarity this year with the Black Lives Matter movement following the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and other people of color and the resulting renewed focus on racial injustice. Demonstrators gathered en masse in Los Angeles earlier this month for a march in support of both racial and LGBT equality, and GLAAD has committed to amplifying Black LGBT voices this June.
"There can be no Pride if it is not intersectional. We are Together in Pride," the organization said.
As the general election approaches, many LGBT people and allies also remain focused on fighting for equality in the eyes of the law. In a ruling earlier this month, the Supreme Court barred sex discrimination against LGBT individuals on the job, five years after the landmark Obergefell v. Hodges marriage equality ruling. Meanwhile, the Trump administration just days earlier moved forward with a rule that rolls back health care protections for transgender people.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
