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These Are the Most Significant Pride Events Around the World

These Are the Most Significant Pride Events Around the World

As Pride Month gets rolling around and rainbow flags start appearing on bars and other businesses, some people may wonder why the LGBTQ community takes Pride so seriously.

Those who haven’t been forced to exist in fear may not understand the dire need for acceptance and recognition. To date, there are over 70 countries where homosexuality is still illegal, with punishments ranging from fines, to jail time, to stonings, lashings, and life imprisonment.

In the 1960’s it was illegal in the United States for bars to serve alcohol to homosexuals, or for gays or lesbians to even congregate in bars. This led to regular police raids on establishments frequented by LGBTQ people. On June 28, 1969, a black trans woman named Marsha Johnson threw a shot glass at police officers raiding the Stonewall Inn, a popular gay hangout on Christopher Street in Greenwich Village. This was the beginning of the Stonewall Riots, often considered the birth of the gay rights movement.

As the past 50 years have seen incremental political changes and a shift in cultural attitudes toward homosexuality, many protests and demonstrations for LGBTQ rights have grown to become celebrations of the right to exist in public, the progress made in the realm of legal recognition, and the diversity within the queer community. Same-sex marriage is now legal in over 20 countries, and that’s something to celebrate.

Click Here to read about the most significant Pride events around the world.

24/7 Tempo reviewed the largest, longest running, and most impactful Pride events around the world. These events sometimes attract millions of celebrants, just like the best carnivals in the world. We reviewed dozens of events gay communities all over the world have organized. With a few exceptions, all of the events on our list are happening in June because it’s designated as LGBTQ Pride Month around the world.

Source: barcex / Flickr

WorldPride
> Time: June 1 – 30
> Place: New York City

This year’s WorldPride, an event that travels to various cities, will take place in New York City to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising. Events including rallies, concerts, lectures, and exhibits will take place all month throughout the city. The WorldPride Welcome Center at 112 Christopher Street in Manhattan’s West Village will be open for the month of June.

Source: Amir Levy / Getty Images

Tel Aviv Pride
> Time: June 9 – 15
> Place: Israel

The biggest LGBTQ celebration in the Middle East is Tel Aviv Pride. The festival takes place at Hilton Beach, a well-known refuge for the area’s queer community, in addition to the city’s many gay night clubs, which will host parties throughout the week.

Source: Courtesy of www.zuerich.com

Zurich Pride Festival
> Time: June 14 – 15
> Place: Switzerland

Pride Week in Zurich, which is actually two weeks of events from June 1 to 16th, culminates in Switzerland’s largest city’s Pride Festival, a weekend of concerts, vendors, dance parties, and a parade. This year’s theme is Strength in Diversity.

Source: Ian Willms / Getty Images

Toronto Pride Festival
> Time: June 21 – 23
> Place: Canada

This year’s Pride Festival in Toronto, the largest LGBTQ event in Canada, will feature a Dyke March, Trans Pride program, drag events, and the popular Pride Parade. The city’s Pride Parade is said to have evolved from a massive demonstration in 1981 after a police raid of four gay bath houses where hundreds of men were arrested.

Source: Victor Moriyama / Getty Images

Sao Paulo Pride Parade
> Time: June 23
> Place: Brazil

The first Sao Paulo Pride Parade took place in 1997 when 2,000 LGBTQ activists gathered to celebrate their culture and protest against discrimination. The event has become the largest Pride Parade in the world, with 5 million attendants in 2017.

Source: Kena Betancur / Getty Images

NYC Pride
> Time: June 26 – 30
> Place: USA

The first NYC Pride March took place in 1970, a year after the Stonewall Riots, and has grown to see over 2 million attendees every year. The Grand Marshals of this year’s Pride March include the Gay Liberation Front, an activist organization that formed after the Stonewall Riots, the Trevor Project, a suicide prevention service to LGBTQ youth, and Monica Helms, a navy veteran and transgender activist.

Source: Justin Sullivan / Getty Images

San Francisco Pride Parade
> Time: June 29
> Place: USA

San Francisco’s first gay rights march to City Hall took place in 1970, followed by a “gay-in” at Golden Gate Park. The first Pride Parade took place two years later, and in 1976 a group of female motorcyclists gathered at the head of the parade. Now, the Dykes on Bikes are a mainstay of this huge parade and celebration, which sees over 1 million attendees yearly.

Source: Pedro Mera / Getty Images

Mexico City Pride Parade
> Time: June 29
> Place: Mexico

One of the largest pride events in Latin America, Mexico City’s Pride Parade is entering its 41st year. In the predominantly Catholic country, Mexico City is continuously on the forefront of queer rights. It became the first Mexican city to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples in 2010.

Source: Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno / Getty Images

Madrid Orgullo
> Time: June 28 – July 7
> Place: Spain

Holding the record for the second highest Pride Parade attendance is Madrid Orgullo, which had 3.5 million attendees in 2017. The celebration attracts people from all over Europe, as Spain is known as one of the most gay friendly countries in the world. A week of parties and cultural events precede the parade on July 7.

Source: Thorsten Hansen / Flickr

Cologne Pride Parade
> Time: July 5 – 7
> Place: Germany

Every year, Cologne holds a Christopher Street Day celebration the first weekend of July. A street festival, political events, AIDS gala, and stage performances take place throughout the weekend, which culminates in a parade with over a million attendees and participants.

Source: Courtesy of www.visitmanchester.com

Sparkle in the Park
> Time: July 12 – 14
> Place: England

A free transgender festival held in Manchester, Sparkle in the Park is a weekend event featuring concerts, comedy performances, workshops, and lectures. It’s open to anyone who identifies as trans, non-binary, or gender questioning, as well as their families, friends, and allies.

Source: Emma McIntyre / Getty Images

OutFest
> Time: July 18 – 28
> Place: Los Angeles

Every July, Los Angeles hosts one of the largest LGBTQ film festivals in the world. OutFest has screened thousands of movies from all over the world that share LGBTQ stories and highlight queer filmmakers. OutFest has recently placed the spotlight on underrepresented voices, featuring more directors that are women, trans, and people of color.

Source: Jasper Juinen / Getty Images

Canal Pride Festival
> Time: July 27 – August 4
> Place: Amsterdam, Netherlands

Taking place in the first country to legalize gay marriage, Amsterdam’s Canal Pride Festival is a colorful celebration featuring street parties, DJs, a Drag Queen Olympics, and a unique Pride Parade that floats down the city’s canals. Milkshake Festival, an outdoor dance festival dedicated to inclusivity and acceptance, kicks off the opening weekend of Canal Pride.

Source: Carrie Kellenberger / Flickr

Taiwan Pride
> Time: October 26
> Place: Taiwan

Asia’s biggest LGBTQ event takes place in the first Asian country to legalize same-sex marriage. What started as a political rally is now a celebration that includes a parade and dozens of street parties. Taipei’s Red District is home to over 20 gay bars and a few gay clubs that will host parties over Pride weekend.

Source: Courtesy of turismo.buenosaires.gob.ar

Buenos Aires Pride Parade
> Time: November 2
> Place: Argentina

In 1992, 300 people attended the first Pride Parade in Buenos Aires, many of them wearing masks to remain anonymous. Now, the parade has grown to 200,000 participants, who gather in early November to honor the founding of Argentina’s first gay organization, Nuestra Mundo, which was founded in 1967.

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