6 Ways To Celebrate Pride Month With Your Kids
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June is a month-long celebration of the LGBTQ+ community. Pride Month was originally established to mark the anniversary of the Stonewall Riots (a riot in response to mass arrests of the gay community in New York City in 1969); however it has evolved into diverse celebrations to honor the history and culture of the LGBTQ+ community.
We know that talking to your kids about their sexual orientation or gender identity or that of other can be a complex process. To help show your kids what it can look like to be accepting or stand as an ally, here are some fun and meaningful ways to get involved and celebrate Pride Month with your family!
Go to a Pride parade
Every year, New York City hosts one of the biggest Pride celebrations all across the world. On June 26, NYC is hosting their Pride celebration titled “Unapologetically Us,” to acknowledge the struggles and fight of LGBTQ+ communities. Families have a long list of parades to choose from to celebrate Pride Month all over the world. Most cities host marches and several events throughout the month. Perhaps one falls in line with one of your family sporting events or you can tie it into your active lifestyle by enjoying the fresh air!
Get creative
Art is commonly used to express oneself. Get creative by painting, collaging, drawing, and more with your kids. Pride Month is colorful and festive, and unapologetically so. Tap into your child’s creative side and play around with different interpretations of rainbows. Make it a family art project or just check out some different brands, companies, and sports teams custom jerseys for Pride Month inspiration.
Read
There are several books out there that are educational in teaching and learning more about the LGBTQ+ community. Make a goal of reading more LGBTQ-themed books in your family. Check out these suggestions from Brightly.
Head to your favorite team’s Pride-themed night
Professional sports teams all across the world plan Pride-themed nights within their organizations. Depending on where you live and the professional team(s) you support, find out when they are celebrating Pride night. Get tickets, get dressed up in Pride wear and enjoy the night with your family. Some teams make custom merchandise from jerseys to sweatshirts, hats and more to celebrate the month.
Listen to podcasts
One of the best ways to learn more about the LGBTQ+ community is to listen to podcasts. Outsports has been a source for all things at the intersectionality of LGBTQ+ and sports for decades. Listen, read, learn, laugh, and enjoy knowledgeable, entertaining and important content.
Keep the conversation going
From parades, marches, theme nights, podcasts, and more, keep the conversation going with your child. Give them a safe space to ask questions, share their thoughts, and express themselves. While it is an entire month we get to celebrate Pride, it doesn’t need to stop at the end of June.