Thursday, June 3, 2021 Five ways to celebrate Pride virtually
compiled by the staff and students of the LGBTQA+ Center
June is Pride Month and safety is the most important aspect for celebrating this year. Although precautions have loosens in many areas as we enter the month of June, the COVID-19 pandemic is still not over. In addition to the usual precautions, we strongly suggest participating in virtual Pride celebrations this year. If you do decide to attend in-person Pride celebrations, be responsible for your health and safety: wear a mask and socially distance when possible and use hand sanitizer.
As far as virtual pride goes, though, here are our five suggestions.
Social Media
Connecting with other people across cultures and around the world every June during Pride Month can be just as empowering as attending an in-person parade. You can follow different types of celebrations as well as joining virtual communities or groups. Be sure to also check out LGBTQA+ hashtags or livestream events on various social medias (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitch, etc.). We suggest following these tags and profiles:
#Pride2021 #OmahaPride
Instagram | @unllgbtqa, @spectrumunl, @pronounsday, @neaidsproject
Twitter | @LGBTQRC, @spectrumunl, @pronounsday, @neaidsproject
Facebook | @lgbtqaUNL, @spectrumunl, @pronounsday, @Nebraska.AIDS.Project
Consume content that makes you feel Pride
Check out all of the LGBTQA+ Center’s monthly recommendations on our social media (see above) for some suggestions. Try visiting a Pride art gallery or exhibit at a local museum, too. Many museums have smaller exhibits open for Pride Month. Our recommendations:
Display and wear Pride swag
Miniature flags, stickers, decals, and rainbow accessories can all spruce up a room or office space. Make sure to be careful if you are not out at work or at home; there are subtle ways to carry your pride as well. For example, you can put together a pride outfit that contains some or all colors of your pride flag. You can also use office supplies in the colors of your pride flag.
For such items, check out the ‘pride’ or ‘subtle pride’ sections on Etsy. Also, remember to support LGBTQA+ businesses selling these items during Pride Month. Three sellers that we suggest:
Donate to LGBTQA+ causes
If you are able to do so, a great way to show pride is to help those who are discriminated against due to their identities. There are numerous organizations that you can donate, including
- The Trevor Project
- National Center for Transgender Equality
- GLSEN
- LGBTQ Freedom Fund
- Human Rights Campaign
If you want your money to go to a specific person, try searching for individuals’ GoFundMe pages via social media platforms.
Create content that makes you feel Pride
Whether you paint, write, draw, code, dance, act, etc., it can always be empowering to create something that reminds you that you are allowed to have pride in your identities and that you are inherently valuable. If you choose to put your work out into the world, then others can see and feel that same pride with you.
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