Celebrating a Month of Pride With Your Whole Family
When you think of Pride Month, colorful images of rainbows, parades and parties probably come to mind, as June is the time for the LGBT community to celebrate the freedom to be who we are. It is also a time to honor the gay, lesbian and transgender activists who made these celebrations possible by fighting for LGBTQ rights, especially through events such as the Stonewall Inn riots .
For families, the month provides several opportunities to talk to our kids about the core values of inclusion that the LGBTQ community advocates and celebrate.
Discuss what it means to identify yourself as LGBTQ.
If you haven’t started talking with your kids yet about the issues people face in the LGBT community, now is the time – or time to build on any discussions you already had. ( Here’s an example to get you started .) This video from the National Center for Transgender Equality features transgender children and adults sharing their experiences, and it’s a good way for kids to connect the concept to real people they can interact with.
You can read children’s books on this topic together, such as Pride: The Harvey Milk Story and the Rainbow Flag ; Stone wall: building, uprising, revolution ; and my two moms and me . You can also check out this list of TV shows with LGBTQ characters , courtesy of Common Sense Media.
Look for local Pride events
In the past year, we have had to celebrate almost everything, including Pride month, both privately and socially. This year, if you are vaccinated or have taken all the precautions that we are now so familiar with, you can celebrate in society. Look for local pride parades, festivals, 5K runs or drag shows and bring your kids with you.
Your city may also have local LGBTQ-owned or LGBTQ-friendly businesses featured on their website that you can patronize this month (and every month).
To go to an hour of dragging queen stories
We used to recommend that you drive your kids to the local Drag Queen history hour and we recommend it again:
Drag Queen Story Hour (DQSH) is exactly what it sounds like – a drag queen reading fairy tales to kids in libraries, schools and bookstores. DQSH captures the imagination and play of childhood gender fluidity and provides kids with adorable, positive and downright weird role models. In places like this, children can see people who ignore rigid gender restrictions and imagine a world in which people can perform as they want and where they can really dress.
You can find an event near you here (or organize your own).
Host Your Own Pride Celebration
Dedicate an entire day (or a whole weekend!) To your personal family pride. Organize a “rainbow chalk walk ” in your neighborhood, or take a walk down the street drawing your own rainbows with chalk as you walk for others to discover. Create a Rainbow Scavenger Hunt where neighborhood kids decorate their windows or yards with rainbows for everyone to find. Or throw a party where everyone brings rainbow- themed food and drinks ( rainbow crunchy treats , anyone?).
Encourage rainbow-themed crafts, such as apride flag or a rainbow bracelet . Draw rainbows on the windows of your home or car using dry erase markers . If there is a specific family member or loved one you want to honor and support this month, ask the children to make a special card or picture for him.
Make it a very colorful and fun day, and talk about the history of celebration and the importance of inclusion.
This article was originally published in 2020 and has been updated on June 3, 2021 to provide up to date information.