MORE THAN A PARADE
A Guide to Seattle's (Mostly) Online Pride 2020
Seattle Pride is postponed, but there are still plenty of ways to celebrate.

Image: Shutterstock and Kim Thwaits
This year we have fresh cause for Pride celebration. The Supreme Court recently ruled that employment discrimination against LGBTQ+ people is illegal. But there’s still a pandemic going on, and in April, Seattle Pride shifted away from in-person events, instead presenting speakers and performers online as Together for Pride.
Nevertheless, Seattle Pride’s executive director, Krystal Marx, says that it’s increasingly important to “come together to provide a space for our community to still celebrate, remember, and activate.” And other local organizations are celebrating online, too.
The annual Seattle Pride Parade, Trans Pride (produced by Gender Justice League), and Seattle Pridefest are historically opportunities to remember Pride's roots as a celebration of resistance to police violence. Gender Justice League co-executive director Tobi Hill-Meyer says it’s important to recognize the current protests on that exact topic and adjust Together for Pride accordingly. “We’re definitely taking guidance specifically from the Black community and Black trans community.”
Here’s a rundown of how to celebrate Pride this year.
MoPOP Local Drag Artists Instagram Takeover
Nothing’s stopping you from painting your face. Watch, listen, and learn from drag queens when they take to MoPOP’s Instagram to answer questions and share pop culture-inspired makeup looks. Thursdays at 7pm, free
MoPOP’s Book Club
Seattle Public Library will host a virtual discussion on N.K. Jemisin’s How Long 'til Black Future Month?, a collection of short stories focusing on LGBTQ+ characters in modern and utopian society. Krystal Marx will chat with MoPOP on Casey McQuiston’s Red, White, and Royal Blue, a diplomatic love story. Multiple dates, free
Seattle Public Library and Virtual Rainbow Story Time
The Seattle Public Library is highlighting some staff-picked LGBTQ+ podcasts and books all month long, and also produced a few animated short films sharing LGBTQ+ voices from the community. The library made it easy to access community resources and a library card name change request form, too. For the kids: Local drag queens will read, sing, and dance in a story time livestream a few times throughout the month. Multiple dates at 10am, free
Northwest Film Forum Streams
A Change in The Family: This documentary tells the story of Zo Thorpe, who came out as transgender to his accepting family. A discussion with the film’s director follows in a Facebook livestream. Proceeds from this, as well as from Queerantine and The Most Dangerous Year, go to the Trans Women of Color Solidarity Network. June 17, sliding scale
Queerantine: A Throwback to Queer Arab Shorts: The Seattle Arab Film Festival is presenting a series of queer shorts, such as I Say Dust, a love and chess story about two Arab-American women in New York. June 18–19, sliding scale
The Most Dangerous Year: This documentary looks into the transgender rights battle behind the I Just Want Privacy bathroom bills of 2016. Stick around after for a streaming filmmaker panel discussion. June 25, sliding scale
Sans Bar Where You Are
Coinciding with Juneteenth, Sans Bar will center panel discussions (with moderators including Krystal Marx) and spoken word artistry on the intersection of Pride and the Black Lives Matter movement. In this alcohol-free Zoom group, mocktails are encouraged. June 19, free
Seattle Black Gay Pride
Black Lives Matter Seattle-King County will host performers in an online event the day after Juneteenth. June 20, free
Big Gay Remote Art Social and Inner Self Portrait Workshop
Tidal Artist Haven will open its Zoom for any and all artists to chat while they get creative. A $10 donation gets you in; for $25, you can also get a bag of art supplies, no-contact-pickup style. June 20 and 27, $10–$25

Seattle Pride 2020 won't look quite like this, but we can remember, can't we?
Image: Courtesy Nate Gowdy
Together for Pride
This fest kicks off Friday with stage shows, a resource fair, and online social justice collaboration space. An all-day Saturday live-cast hosts artists and nonprofit profiles, finishing the night with a dance party featuring local musicians, drag queens, and drag kings. Sunday wraps up with virtual vendor booths and interactive Q&A sessions, many of which focus on activism and amplifying Black and brown voices. Each day of the weekend is hosted, respectively, by the Gender Justice League (producer of Trans Pride), PrideFest, and Seattle Pride. June 26–28, free but registration is required
Run and Walk With Pride
Seattle Frontrunners, an LGBTQ+ walking and running club, organized an anywhere-you-are run/walkathon. Make it to the end of 5K or 10Ks anywhere in the world and gain bragging rights (plus a t-shirt). June 26–29, $20–35
Capitol Hill Pride March
King County’s ban on officially organized events does not include people exercising their right to protest and assemble. Capitol Hill Pride took note and put together an unofficial march (starting at Seattle Central College and continuing down Broadway) tied to a few CHAZ/CHOP demands, as told to The Stranger. June 27, free
Youth Pink Prom and Pride
Lambert House Youth Community Center will host spaces on both Minecraft Java Edition and Discord platforms for LGBTQ+ youth between ages 13 and 22 to connect and talk while gaming online. June 27, free
Bearracuda Gay Pride
It wouldn’t be Pride without nearly naked bears in a virtual underwear party, DJs included. June 27, sliding scale