Community support has continued to evolve for LGBTQIA+ Pride events across the territory, and organizers on St. Thomas anticipate that this year’s celebrations on St. Thomas, which include paint and sips, art shows, a pride walk, and even a beach party, will be the biggest yet.
Since 2014, when the debate on same-sex marriage was happening in the United States, the LGBTQIA+ community has come together to organize demonstrations and events to celebrate Pride in the VI. Today the community continues to pull in more residents and organizations every June, which is designated LGBTQIA+ Pride Month. For example, the first Pride Walk was organized last year, with a second walk planned for this June.
While the schedule is still being finalized and will soon be released, events happening include:
Pride Walk
Art Uncorked: Pride Edition
Karaoke @ The Meat Up
Pride Lingerie Smoke, Paint, and Sip
Pride Art Show at 81C
Erotic Poetry Slam
LGBTQIA+ Family and Friends Breakfast and Talk at Barefoot Buddha
Pride Float-A-Palooza Beach Party
All events are open to the public, and anyone interested in participating or with questions or concerns should email sttpridemarch2022@gmail.com.
AARP of the V.I. is a proud sponsor of these events. To support or sponsor, residents and businesses can call Chunikwa George at 340-998-0815 or Muria Nisbett at 206-851-5052. A PayPal link has also been set up for donations (https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/sttpride) and updates will continue to be posted on the @STTPride page on Instagram or @GayPrideVI on Facebook.
LGBTQIA+ Pride is celebrated in the month of June to commemorate the Stonewall Riots that occurred on June 28, 1969, in New York City’s Greenwich Village. The very first Pride celebration took place in 1970 on Christopher Street in Greenwich Village, one year after the Stonewall Riots occurred. Pride is now celebrated all over the world in both the month of June and in October, which is LGBTQIA+ History Month.
