If you and your family would like to take part in the Pride festivities, we have rounded up five fun ways to do it. Get ready to parade, craft, and share stories. But first, learn a bit more about Pride and why it’s such a meaningful celebration.

What is Pride Month?

Pride month pays homage to The Stonewall Riots that took place on June 28, 1969 at The Stonewall Inn on Christopher Street in New York. Initially, the riots were remembered on the last Sunday of each June. Over the years, the single-day commemoration transformed into a month-long celebration. The name “Pride” represents dignity, rather than shame or isolation, associated with various forms of romantic, sexual, or gender orientations. It also refers to the pride allies feel for the immense influence the LGBTQ+ community has had on society as a whole.  

Family-Friendly Ways to Celebrate Pride

Celebrating Pride is one way to tell people in your community that you love and support them because of the many differences they behold. Doing it as a family is a great time to discuss core values of inclusivity, visibility, and representation with your children. It is also the perfect excuse to dress up, give back, and spend quality time together.

Join a Parade

The very first Pride march took place in New York City in 1970, exactly one year after The Stonewall Riots. Today, cities including Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Denver—and many more nationwide—have adopted the tradition of walking the streets, adorned with rainbow flags and apparel. Depending on your location, you may be able to find a parade to join or view. Often these parades welcome all ages, and feature performers, music, and a vibrant community marching with joy. With that said, a Pride parade that is specified as “kid-friendly” may be a more suitable option for your entire family, as some parades are known to get rowdy. If a city-wide parade is not an option in your neck of the woods, consider hosting your own. Your parade may be for the neighborhood, your closest friends, or simply your immediate family. Bubbles, chalk, face-paint, music, and rainbow merchandise can turn a family walk into a DIY Pride parade. 

Get Crafty

Celebrating pride can be done from the confines of your own home. Since artist Gilbert Baker created the LGBTQ+ flag in the 1970s, the rainbow has been an emblem for the LGBTQ+ community. The range of colors is said to represent diversity, with each color representing a different element of the community. Arts and crafts are a great way to celebrate color. Tie-dye, homemade flags, sidewalk chalk, and spin-art are just a handful of ways to get creative and festive this June. 

Share Stories

Stories are your child’s first glimpse into other worlds. Typically, this is in the form of literature, but storytime does not have to involve a storybook. If you or someone in your family is a part of the LGBTQ+ community, now is a great time to embrace their journey and share it with pride. And even if you’re all just allies, there are plenty of ways to expose your children to diverse perspectives. For example, consider buying LGBTQ+ books, putting on an age-appropriate television episode, or attending a drag queen story hour. These are just a few ways to use the power of narrative to celebrate pride.

Wear Your Pride

Similar to the way children’s shows are celebrating pride with inclusive plotlines, other brands are increasing LGBTQ+ visibility by releasing Pride merchandise.  The longstanding toy brand, LEGO released an “Everyone is Awesome” set, which features “11 monochrome minifigures each with its own individual hairstyle and rainbow color” according to their site.  Especially impactful brand collaborations are ones with philanthropic benefits, as well. For instance, the charitable shoemakers, Toms, have released a Unity Collection that features a colorful spin on their classic shoe styles. One-third of the sales from the collection will be donated to a grassroots organization. Disney, Petsmart, and Target are a few of many other brands donating a portion of their sales to support the LGBTQ+ community. 

Many non-profits and grassroots organizations are based upon the mission of empowering the LGBTQ+ community. Pride is an opportune time to set aside time to give back. Doing your part to empower the LGBTQ+ does not have to be a monetary donation. In fact, you and your family could give your time at a youth shelter, a clothing drive, or at an event that is raising money for the cause. Notable nationwide organizations in support of the LGBTQ+ community include, The Trevor Project , The Gill Foundation, and It Gets Better.

The same survey found that 75% of LGBTQ youth reported that they had experienced discrimination based on their sexual orientation or gender identity at least once in their lifetime. Additionally, “42% of LGBTQ youth, including more than half of transgender and nonbinary youth, seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year. Yet, nearly half could not access the mental health care they desired.” 

With these devastating statistics in mind, we can take pride in how far we’ve come, while also paying respects to those who have suffered. Better yet, we can use this information to fuel our commitment to increased visibility, acceptance, and support for members of the LGBTQ+.