This June, we’re celebrating Pride and our LGBTQA+ community in Minnesota and beyond! Pride is now a celebration of the 1969 police riots in Greenwich Village, New York.
The Stonewall Riots spanned over three days and was one of the most prominent instances where LGBTQA+ people resisted against the police discrimination they faced. And it was trans women of color and trans women who were at the forefront, including: Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, Zazu Nova, Jackie Hormona, Stormé DeLarverie, and Tammy Novak.
The intersections of queer and Asian American identities comes to a point with the celebration of Asian Pacific Islander American Heritage Month in May and Pride in June. For many queer Asian Americans, it means we get to celebrate two parts of very important parts of our identity.
And at AAOP, where a majority of our staff are queer and Asian, May and June are important months for us to be celebrating and accepting our identities.
Pride is typically celebrated at Loring Park, Minneapolis where thousands gather in the park for food, activities, performances, drinks, and community. The celebration culminates into a parade on Sunday morning where marchers don their most authentic selves.
Today, we celebrate with community, parades, and music. Check out our list of five family-friendly ways to celebrate pride:
- TIGERRS (Transgender, Intersex, Gender-Expansive Revolutionary Resources & Services) is hosting a series of family-friendly and trans-inclusive beach parties for all ages! Check out their Facebook page here.
- JustUs Health MN is hosting their 12th Annual Pride Fruit Bowl during Pride weekend. Activities include free bowling, volleyball, karaoke, kid’s activities, taco bar, and door prizes! Check it out.
- Ocean Vuong will be releasing his debut novel on Friday, June 14th at Moon Palace Books. He has previously released his first book of poems, title Night Sky with Exit Wounds. He will be reading alongside Hieu Minh Nguyen, who wrote This Way to Sugar and Not Here, two collections of poems.
- Transcendence Cabaret will performing at the Twin Cities Pride. They are the premier cabaret troupe showcasing primarily trans and nonbinary people of color. Check out their Facebook event page.
- Telling Queer History (TQH) is hosting a free evening of readings, performances, and gallery conversations exploring LGBTQ+ identities and reflecting on the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising. The evening is co-curated by poet, politician, transgender rights activitst, and Minneapolis City Councilmember Andrea Jenkins. Check it out.
If you can’t make any of those events listed, stay tune for AAOP’s very own queer celebration later this summer!
How else are you celebrating pride this month? And beyond?