Photo by Markus Spiske
In the United States, June is designated as Pride Month where LGBTQIA+ individuals, families, organizations and their allies commemorate the 1969 Stonewall Riots, recognize the struggle for marriage equality, bring awareness to discriminatory legislation and celebrate the range of gender identities and sexualities. Washington D.C. hosts a large Pride parade and festival every year and this year’s event, which occurred June 11th and 12th, was projected to have over half a million people in attendance. If you missed the parade and festival, there are still organizations, resources and events, including another local Pride festival, that will allow you to connect with members of D.C.’s LGBTQIA+ community.
- 2022 Arlington Pride Festival- June 25, 2022 marks the first year that Arlington, Virginia will host its own Pride celebration. The event will be held at Gateway Park in the Rosslyn neighborhood, which is metro-accessible. The festival starts at noon and will end at 7 pm. There will be performances, vendors, food and other entertainment and it is free to attend. Make the trip across the Potomac on the 25th and come celebrate this year’s Pride month!
- The DC Center- Located on 14th Street NW, the DC Center for the LGBT Community is a local community center who “educates, empowers, celebrates, and connects the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities.” The DC Center hosts many social and community events including Reel Affirmations, an international LGBTQ film festival, and OutWrite, a literary festival. On June 23rd-26th, the DC Center will have the DC Pride Film Festival 2022. In-person film screenings will take place on the 23rd at 7pm and 9pm at the E Street Cinema and virtual screenings will begin on the 24th. The DC Center hosts other community building events and social and peer support groups to help people connect. Be sure to check out their website to learn more about their work!
- The Library of Congress- The Library of Congress has several resources to help you learn more about Pride celebrations and the LGBTQIA+ community. Their ‘History of Pride’ is an interactive webpage that goes into detail about the Stonewall Riots and how that historical event eventually became Pride Month. They also have several online resources and archives including the ‘LGBTQIA+ Studies: A Resource Guide’ and the ‘LGBTQ+ Studies Web Archive’ which “collects and preserves online content which documents LGBTQ+ history, scholarship, and culture in the United States and around the world.” If you’re interested in accessing primary and/or secondary sources related to the LGBTQIA+ community, be sure to explore the Library of Congress’ collections.
- Himmelfarb Library- Himmelfarb Library has an assortment of books, journals, articles, blog posts and other resources that focus on LGBTQ+ healthcare. Last year, we published several blog posts for Pride month including a profile of Dr. Rachel Levine, the first openly trans woman to be confirmed to a federal position by Congress, a 2021 Pride resources list that featured titles in our collection, such as the Journal of Gay & Lesbian Mental Health and Transgender Mental Health, and most recently we published a post on trans healthcare and how transphobic bias severely impacts trans patients. The staff at Himmelfarb Library are committed to providing resources that not only meet the needs of our patrons, but also encourage them to think critically about social and cultural issues that have an impact on healthcare.
Washington D.C. and the surrounding Northern Virginia and Maryland area is home to a thriving LGBTQ+ community and there are other organizations that provide support for people. This list curated by Arlington County has additional organizations that were not featured in this blog post. And if you have an organization that you’d like to highlight, please leave their information in the comments section. May you all have a safe and joyous Pride!
Photo Credit: Chona Kasinger. Part of the Disabled and Here image collection.
