International Pride Events to Celebrate This June

This June, we wanted to kick off our Pride Month by looking at the different Pride celebrations around the world. Pride takes many forms, so we invite you to dive into the international festivities with us!

Tel Aviv – Sunday, Jun 4^th to Saturday, Jun 10^th 

Tel Aviv Pride takes place every year during the second week of June. The Pride parade in particular is a two-day event that will be taking place this June 8^th and 9^th. For years it was against the law to be openly gay in Israel, rooted in the rejection of homosexual behavior in the Bible. However, homosexuality was decriminalized in 1988, and 5 years later the first official Tel Aviv Pride Parade was held. It has since grown to become the largest pride celebration in all of Asia!

São Paulo – Wednesday, June 7^th to Sunday, June 11^th  

São Paulo Pride is the largest pride celebration in the entire world. These festivities are the second largest event in the city as a whole, coming in just behind the Grand Prix Formula One Brazil. The official celebration is five days in early/mid-June, with many events being hosted all around the city. However, the unofficial events start weeks in advance, with the queer culture of São Paulo coming to life during the entire month of June. The Pride Parade will take place at the tail end of the official Pride celebration, starting on June 11^th at 10 am.  

Boston – Saturday, June 10^th  

I snapped this photo in Downtown Boston at the beginning of June, right after the addition of the Pride flags.

Being based out of Boston, here at ACIS, we are very much looking forward to this month’s festivities. The Pride celebration in Boston will take place all over the city, including both a parade and festivals. This is the first year back since the outbreak of pandemic, with the celebration now being under new management. Boston Pride for the People is a fully volunteer and donation-based organization that will be newly in charge of putting everything together for 2023. We are beyond excited to have the celebrations in our city back and better than ever since the pandemic! 

Dublin – Tuesday, Jun 20^th to Sunday, Jun 25^th  

This year, the Dublin Pride Parade will be celebrating its 40^th anniversary! Dublin Pride celebrations began all the way back in 1974, but the first official Dublin Pride Parade was held in 1983. Since then, the city has hosted its annual Pride parade on the last Saturday of every June. The celebration has grown to encompass an entire week of festivities, but this year the parade in particular will be held on June 24^th. 

Mexico City – Thursday, June 22nd to Sunday, June 25^th 

Mexico City Pride is one of the largest Pride celebrations in Latin America. The official celebrations are held during the last weekend in June, but unofficial events begin in the week leading up. The events during the official and unofficial celebrations include festivals, raves, parties, the official Mexico City Pride Parade and the parade afterparty. This year’s parade will be held on Saturday, June 24^th. 

Madrid – Friday, June 23^rd to Sunday, July 2^nd  

Madrid Pride is known to be the largest pride celebration in all of Europe every year. The festivities generally kick off every June 28^th and continue for a week. June 28^th marks the beginning of Madrid Pride because it is recognized as International Pride Day, observed on the anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. However, for 2023, the festivities have been extended, to begin on June 23^rd and end after the Pride parade on July 1^st. 

Paris – Saturday, June 24^th 

This is a photo I got while I was at Paris Pride 2021!

Paris Pride, or Marche des Fiertés LGBTQ as it’s known in the city, is Paris’s annual city-wide pride celebration. The celebration kicks off with a parade through the streets of Paris, usually ending in the Place de la République or Place de la Bastille. The celebration then continues throughout the day, with the parade-goers usually heading towards le Marais. Le Marais is known as the “gay neighborhood” of Paris, and the energy of the area can really be felt during pride. This Parisian celebration is the biggest LGBTQ+ Pride event in all of France. 

NYC – Sunday, June 25^th 

New York City Pride is by far the largest Pride celebration in the United States. With the Stonewall riots breaking out in June of 1969, the outset of NYC Pride followed immediately after, with the first NYC Pride happening in June of 1970. The current organizer, the non-profit Heritage of Pride, has been planning the events since 1984, creating a huge party all across NYC for the celebration. For 2023, they even got Christina Aguilera to headline! 

All year round, but especially during International Pride Month, our pride connects us as so many cities around the world bloom with pride and love. No matter what continent, country or region, we can see that the LGBTQ+ population is unstoppably resilient. As an organization that promotes empathy through understanding, teaching tolerance, and making global connections, we encourage everyone, irrelevant to where they fit on the queer spectrum, to get involved in their local Pride celebrations this year and support the LGBTQ+ community.