HAPPY PRIDE MONTH! Even though many of us are celebrating at home with businesses still closed, now is the perfect time to support queer art and celebrate our most beloved icons. There are so many brilliant online LGBT museums to browse through, and curated books to read to feel comfort in community. Hundreds of Pride marches have been cancelled or have successfully transitioned into Black Lives Matter marches this year which is a pivotal moment for 2020.
There are some awesome virtual events amidst all these IRL cancellations. This year the virtual event Global Pride, held by the same organizers of World Pride, will feature performances and speeches on June 27th to celebrate the occasion. And although every day should be PRIDE, we celebrate the cause in June to commemorate the 1969 riots at the Stonewall Inn gay club in NYC.
For further education on all things Pride, these artists that have stepped up to show the beauty of the queer community in our eyes. Obviously there are hundreds more we can name, so pop your thoughts in the comment section if we missed your fav.
And let's not forget about the urgency of helping out queer youth during these times. For volunteer opportunities, you can even join the It Gets Better community to find out how to help queer youth in your hometown.
Janelle Monáe is FIERCE AS FOOK. "Being a queer black woman in America, someone who has been in relationships with both men and women – I consider myself to be a free-ass motherf__ker," said Janelle to Rolling Stone back in 2019. Her music is a powerful amalgamation of her stance on activism, Afro-futurism, and police brutality. She's also a fashion visionary who is unafraid to be seen in a giant yonic symbol on stage as a remark on feminism and queer visibility. Her looks, like her iconic 2019 Met Gala gown, are so in line with her talent as a musical artist, she's clearing taking over the world IN THE BEST WAY POSSIBLE.
Learn more:
Her "Come Alive" Oscar Performance
Watch her most recent, groundbreaking interview on POWER
Hedwig and the Angry Inch is an all-time favorite queer flick about the importance of coming out and standing up for WHOEVER THE F YOU WANT TO BE. Hedwig is an angsty punk rock lead singer who uses her talent to narrate her experiences of transitioning from male to female, her immigration to America, and falling in love. She's also an incredible fashionista with her memorable wigs. If you're a fan of musicals, this flick is for you.
Learn more:
Watch Neil Patrick Harris as Hedwig on Broadway
Janet Mock is a transgender activist, best-selling author, and just overall PERFECT HUMAN. Her book Redefining Realness landed on the New York Time's Bestseller list, which catapulted her career and gained her notoriety on being a voice to the trans community. She has also written and directed for Pose which is also on this list. Check out her memoirs on her courageous personal journey here.
Learn more:
Purchase her book Redefining Realness
Watch Janet Mock Get Dressed for the 2019 Met Gala
Pose is all about the exciting culture of gender non-comformity in NYC's queer Ball culture of the 1980's. And it stars one of our fav icons of all time, the brilliant Broadway star Billy Porter best known for Kinky Boots. The drama is REAL. The glam is PHENOMENAL. Most the characters reveal themselves as HIV positive which adds an even greater historical dimension to the series that will leave you seriously educated and entertained.
Learn more:
Watch Janet Mock chat about Pose with Ellen
Comedian Lily Tomlin originally received an offer to come out on the cover of TIME magazine in 1975. But she didn't want to be recognized solely for her sexuality -- which makes her an advocate for normalizing homosexuality in the entertainment industry. She plays Frankie in Netflix's Grace and Frankie with numerous other writing, acting, and producing performances under her belt. Her writing partner and wife, Jane, has also been a cause of controversy in the entertainment industry, with the two tying the knot in 2013 after being together for 42 years. Their most recent film which Jane wrote and Lily narrated, An Apology to Elephants, was released the same year.
Learn more:
Stream Grace and Frankie on Netflix
See the trailer for An Apology to Elephants
Watch a throwback of her comedy from the 80's
If you're looking for a tear-jerker with a little bit of reality show glam, then this series is for you. Obviously a re-make of the classic Queer Eye for the Straight Guy which debuted in 2003, the 2020 version of Queer Eye is much more inclusive. From the fashion icon Tan France, to the interior design digs of Bobby Berk, the Queer Eye group known as the "Fab Five" showcases that gay men don't have to fit into archetypes. They each help style and fulfill the lives of their contestants by challenging them to be the best versions of themselves. The Fab Five are each icons in their own right by advocating for self-love, acceptance, and a truly radical future where being queer is normalized.
Learn more:
Watch their Life-Changing Advice on Jimmy Fallon
Watch the trailer for Season 5
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There are so many more fundamental icons to check out. From Rupaul, to the our queen Divine, we are totally down for your suggestions in the comments.