Pride Month 2024: History and events to check out in Delaware
June is Pride Month, a national recognition and celebration of LGBTQ+ rights and progress.
For the entirety of the month, marches, parades, festivals and celebrations will be held nationwide in honor of LGBTQ communities’ persistence and progress.
A recent Gallup poll reported that individuals who now identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community has more than doubled in the past 12 years, while at the same time, a growing movement of anti-LGBTQ legislation is being introduced in states around the county.
While Pride Month may be best known for its parades and parties, the history of Pride Month is one of struggle, protest and continued perseverance in the face of discrimination, and Delaware’s history is no exception.
Here’s what to know about Pride Month 2024, including local events to celebrate love, acceptance and Pride.
Pride Month's national history
June is known as Pride Month, a time for celebration and remembrance.
Pride is celebrated during June in honor of the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in New York, in which LGBTQ+ activists protested after police raided the popular Manhattan gay bar, Stonewall Inn.
Following Stonewall, activism swept across the country in support of LGBTQ+ rights. The first Pride parades took place in major U.S. cities like New York, Chicago and Los Angeles the next year.
Today, Pride Month presents an opportunity for visibility and community. In addition to celebrating LGBTQ love and joy, it’s also a time to highlight important policy and resource issues the community faces. In 2021, NYC Pride banned law enforcement presence at Pride events through 2025 because of escalating violence “against marginalized groups, specifically BIPOC and trans communities.”
According to the Human Rights Campaign, 130 bills targeting trans rights have been filed and 325 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been proposed in 2024. More than 650 anti-LGBTQ+ bills were introduced in 2023.
Delaware's ongoing LGBTQ+ activism
Last September, the Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs and Government Information Center launched a digital LGBTQ+ History of Delaware archive.
The project highlights dozens of stories of influential activists in Delaware who advanced LGBTQ+ rights, places in Delaware with a history of LGBTQ+ acceptance and influential moments in statewide history.
A timeline is featured in the database dating back to pre-colonial days of Delaware, going through the history of notable pieces of LGBTQ+ legislation, movements and figures.
Delaware became the 17th state to pass a ban on the "LGBTQ+ panic" defense in a court of law last October, which aims to protect LGBTQ+ residents from becoming victims of violence.
In December of 2023, House Bill 275 was introduced proposing to include asexuality and pansexuality into the Delaware Code relating to "sexual orientation." Asexuality refers to an individual with little to no sexual attraction to others and pansexuality refers to individuals whose sexual or romantic attraction is not based on their partner's gender identity or sex. The bill passed the House in March and was reported out of the Senate's Health and Social Services Committee as of Wednesday, May 22.
Activism for LGBTQ+ rights, especially among youth groups continues to spread statewide. In November, the Delaware Division of Public Health confirmed that it had to cut $1.8 million in HIV prevention programs beginning this year due to reductions in federal funding, a move that will likely require certain HIV counseling and testing services to be cut.
Where to celebrate Pride Month in Delaware
There are a number of Pride events taking place in and around Delaware this month.
Delaware Pride Festival
The state’s largest annual Pride celebration is returning Saturday, June 1, at Legislative Hall in Dover.
Between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., the event will host dozens of vendors, drag performers, live music and speakers. The event is free attendance and family-friendly, with activities for people of all ages to enjoy.
Also in Dover, the Biggs Museum in Dover will be holding a Delaware Pride at the Biggs event on June 1. Between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., admission into the museum will be free and giveaways will be taking place of posters featuring artwork by local LGBTQ+ artists.
Rehoboth Beach Pride
From Thursday, July 18, to Sunday, July 21, Rehoboth will host its Pride celebration.
The annual festival will be held July 20 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center.
The events will be free and open to all who want to celebrate or learn more about Pride celebrations. LGBTQ+ resources, health screening, craft vendors, performances and more will be available.
The Convention Center also will host the Funny Girlz, made up of comedians Roxanna Ward, Vickie Shaw and Lisa Koch in a Pride Comedy Night and Dance performance. Doors will open Saturday, July 20, at 5:30 p.m. and a dance party will follow the comedy show starting at 8:15 p.m.
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Wilmington’s Pride Events
Wilmington will celebrate Pride Month in its own way, too.
The Docklands Divas Drag Brunch will take place Sunday, June 2, at the Docklands Riverfront. Tickets are $20 and colorful attire is encouraged.
Fashion lovers can make their way to the stage Saturday, June 8, from 6 to 10 p.m. in Wilmington’s Community Education building for City Pride: Express Yourself Fashion Runway Show, where people can express themselves through their best creative outfits and celebrate the city’s pride.
The Queen will host its “Pride in WILM” event with a comedy show from headliner and viral comedian Jessica Kirson on Friday, June 21, starting at 7:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online.
Other Pride Month events
The Brandywine Zoo also will host its fourth annual Pride Day event on Saturday, June 22, from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. Admission into the event is included in regular zoo admission and will feature a day of educational programming, a scavenger hunt, story time and more. Pride gear is encouraged!
Keep your eyes peeled for bar crawls around your area in honor of Pride Month. Wilmington (June 22), Newark (June 22) and Dover (June 29) have crawls planned around the cities, which can be registered for online.
Molly McVety covers community and environmental issues around Delaware. Contact her at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @mollymcvety.
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Pride Month 2024 events and where to celebrate in Delaware
