By Clara Geoghegan
Absent this month are the in-person parades, rallies and parties which usually celebrate Gay Pride in June. Because of restrictions on large in-person gatherings due to COVID-19, Pride is looking different this year. That said, don't you dare pack up your flags just yet. Pride is still on.
We've put together a comprehensive guide to what's going on around town this year celebrating Pride month. If you've got some Pride related events in the works and we missed ya, let us know!
Mon. through Sun., June 15-21
? Join the Denver Public Library for "Power Embodied: Transgender History in Colorado," a virtual lecture covering trans history across the state. Register in advance for the free event, which is on Tuesday from 6:30-7:30 p.m.
? Tracks gets the festivities rolling this year with Together We Rise, a Facebook Live party on Wednesday starting at 9 p.m. A $10 suggested donation goes toward the Center on Colfax.
?Catch a drag and burlesque show with dinner, at the Lobby, on Thursday and Friday at 6:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. It'll put you back $60, but with live entertainment, drinks, appetizers and a main entree included in the price, it's an all inclusive way to start off Pride right.
? Denver Arts and Venues hosts a panel with artists featured in Queer City of the Plains, on display now at the McNichols building. The panel, on Thursday from 6-7:30 p.m., is free but requires advanced registration.
? Use your library card to watch "Strike a Pose," a documentary following seven backup dancers for Madonna in 1991 who found themselves as ambassadors for the LGBTQ+ community. Then, share your thoughts and join a conversation about the film with Doc & Talk, virtually hosted by the Denver Public Library, Thursday at 7 p.m.
? Tune in to the Mile High Pridecast Friday from 11 a.m. to 4 a.m. (technically Saturday morning). Broadcasting live from Denver LGBTQ+ venues, catch the live show on Facebook Live, Mixcloud or TwitchTV.
? Get a virtual tour of Queer City of the Plains: An Artistic Look at Denver's LGBT History on display now at the McNichols Building. Historian David Duffield and curator Shanna Shelby host the free Facebook Live tour, Friday at noon.
?Join Denver drag queens on Friday night (8-9:30 p.m.) to kick off Denver Pride with the Queer the Cencus Varitey Show. The free to watch, pre-recorded performances broadcast from Facebook.
? The Mile High Gay Guy & Midtown Spa has partnered with Bearracuda to offer the Bearracuda Virtual Denver Gay Pride party, Friday from 9 p.m.-1:30 a.m. $10 suggested donation.
? Participate in a virtual 5k race with Denver Pride. The running and walking part can be done wherever and whenever you want this weekend between Saturday and Sunday. Registration ranges between $35-40, and all money raised supports the Center on Colfax.
? Join the Denver Dyke March on Saturday at 11 a.m. for a virtual rally and march. Tune in for some digital solidarity on Facebook Live, Instagram and the Dyke March website.
? From 1:30-2:30 on Saturday, watch an exclusive pre-recorded performance for Denver Pride by drag star Jackie Cox. The "RuPaul's Drag Race" season 12 contestant's show will be uploaded to the Denver Pride Facebook page, and will be free to stream.
? Join the Q Crew and Out Front Magazine for a virtual Pride party on Saturday from 2-10 p.m. Watch performances by LGBTQ+ artists streaming on YouTube.
? Denver Pride and The Triangle present Smirnoff Dance World, a streaming dance party with three hours of DJs. Tune in for free to TwitchTV Saturday from 3:30-6:30 p.m. to get your dancing fix.
? Break out your pink on Saturday from 4-6 p.m. for a virtual Pink Party. All proceeds, including the $25 suggested donation, support One Colorado, an advocacy group that looks to advance equality for LGBTQ+ individuals and their families. The live DJ and drag performances are another good reason to get in on the fun.
? If you missed Wednesday's virtual Pride party hosted by Tracks, don't fret. On Saturday from 6 p.m.-midnight, catch Together We Rise: Pride Saturday Electric Mashup! streaming from Facebook Live. Tickets cost $10, which go toward the Center on Colfax and Black Lives Matter.
? Together We Rise: Virtual Pride Fest 2020, a showcase of LGBTQ+ artists and stories of resilience, airs on Rocky Mountain PBS, The Drop 303 HD2 Radio and YouTube, Saturday at 6 p.m.
? This year's parade isn't happening in person, but the Coors Light Virtual Denver Pride Parade brings "parade units" with stories, messages and experiences from the Denver community to your screen. Watch it Sunday at 9:30 a.m. with Facebook Live, Denver 7 and Rocky Mountain PBS.
?Make your voice heard digitally and stand in solidarity at The Center on Colfax and Once Colorado's Denver Pride Equality Rally. Join with Facebook Live on Sunday at 12:30 p.m.
? Dixie Krystals, Zenon Teavee and KaiLee Mykels host Drag Queen Story Time for kids, Sunday from 1-1:30 p.m.
? Stream the Online US Latin Bank stage feat. Nayasha Lopez of "RuPaul's Drag Race" season eight fame. Catch the Miss Congeniality winner as part of Denver Pride events, Sunday at 1:30 p.m.
? Denver drag queen Felony Misdemeanor and Denver Pride host Black Diamonds. The online show will be Denver's first all black drag show, and streams Sunday from 5-6:30 p.m. from TwitchTV.
? Closing out Denver Pride's virtual stages is Monet X. Change on Sunday at 6 p.m. Monet, also a drag super-star, competed in "RuPaul's Drag Race" tenth season and returned to the show, winning the fourth season of "RuPaul's Drag Race: All Stars."
Mon. through Sun., June 22-28
? The Center for Women's History at the Byers-Evans House hosts a writers workshop focusing on pride, queer identity, beauty and power. Register for free to join the Wednesday workshop from 6-8 p.m.
? Join Michael Paglia, curator of "Lavender Mist," and curator Shanna Shelby, Friday at noon, for a Facebook Live tour and Q&A of the exhibit Queer City of the Plains.
Pride all month
? CinemaQ, presented by Denver Film, is back and available all month long. This year, Denver Film curated a selection of pioneering queer cinema from the 1920s to '30s, available to stream online. Digital film rentals range from $7-15 and purchases support Denver Film.
? Get in your 10,000 steps and learn about Denver's LGBTQ+ historical landmarks with Geotourist and AARP's Capitol Hill LGBT Landmarks Walking Tour. The Geotourist app, which is free to download for smartphones at the Google Play and App Store, guides you through Cap Hill with stops at historically significant spots. Once you download the app, the tour can be done anytime you want.
? While most art museums are closed or gradually re-opening, the McNichols Center Building offers socially distant in-person tours of the exhibit Queer City of the Plains: An Artistic Look at Denver's LGBTQ History, on display until August 30. The free daily tours are limited to groups of eight or less and have to be scheduled in advance. If you want to avoid downtown parking, Facebook Live tours with Q&A sessions are happening at noon on June 19 and 26 and July 10.
? If you missed the Pride weekend virtual 5K, you got another chance to raise some money and get active. One Colorado offers the Virtual Big Gay 5k for the entire month of June. Online registration costs $30, and the actual running or walking part is done on your own wherever and whenever you want.
