Celebrating Seattle Pride 50th! Your Guide to WA State LGBTQ+ Events and Resources for June 2024

June is Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) Pride Month. This month-long celebration demonstrates how LGBTQ Americans have strengthened our country, by using their talent and creativity to help create awareness and goodwill.
(Library of Congress)

HISTORY OF PRIDE
Pride Month is celebrated in June in recognition of the Stonewall Riots, which took place on June 28, 1969 in New York, widely considered the start of the modern movement for equal rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people.

The first Pride March in New York City was held on June 28, 1970, on the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising. That first pride parade took on a life of its own, with Los Angeles and Chicago holding their own demonstrations in 1970, followed by Seattle in 1974. Other cities both in the U.S. and abroad began their own traditions in the years that followed.

In 1999, President Bill Clinton declared June to be “Gay and Lesbian Pride Month” in the U.S., following the tradition that began with honoring the anniversary of Stonewall.

An estimated 5 million people attended the New York City march in 2019, the 50-year anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. Throughout 5 decades, Pride has grown globally to at least 105 countries who celebrate the LGBTQ+ community in some visible way. (TIME)

SEATTLE PRIDE 50TH ANNIVERSARY

This year marks the City of Seattle’s 12th Annual Pride flag raising celebration and the 50th anniversary of Seattle Pride. In June of 1974, a pivotal moment unfolded as LGBTQIA+ individuals, inspired by the spirit of the Stonewall uprising, gathered in Seattle.

SEATTLE PRIDE MONTH EVENTS
King County Council has declared June LGBTQ Pride Month, celebrating the accomplishments and history of the region’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer communities while acknowledging the challenges to their full participation in society.

Seattle and King County Pride celebrations take place all through June, closing out with the annual Seattle Pride Parade on Sunday, June 30 in Downtown Seattle. Come see Washington’s largest parade and celebrate the 250+ local and national community groups, nonprofits, and companies. More details here! Seattle Pride Month Events | Seattle Pride Parade Details

WASHINGTON STATE PRIDE EVENTS 2024
Listed below are more Pride organizations around King County and the Puget Sound Region – and beyond – that host annual Pride festivals and other events throughout this summer! (@seatacblog)

Alki Beach PRIDE. Aug 31, 2024. Free community event.
Anacortes Pride hosts a parade & picnic on June 22, 2024. Parade in downtown Anacortes followed by a Pride Picnic at Causland Park.
Pride In Bellingham July 6-7, 2024. Saturday Family Picnic and Pride Dance. Sunday Parade Parade from Waypoint Park through the middle of Downtown Bellingham ending at the Festival in Depot Market Square for a Festival.
Burien Pride 3 fun filled days June 7-9, 2024. Burien Pride Street Festival is Saturday 10a to 10p
Kitsap Pride Festival July 20, 2024 at Kitsap County Fairgrounds. Food vendors, improved youth and teen spaces, entertainment, local vendors, and LGBTQ+ community.
Renton Pride. June 14, 2024, 6:00 PM – 8:00. At the Renton Pavilion Events Center, the event is free, family-friendly, all ages, and features local LGBTQIA+ artisans, vendors, and organizations.
Tacoma Pride Festival July 13 from 12pm – 6pm in Tacoma – Tacoma Pride Festival is a celebration of the LGBTQ+ Community in the South Puget Sound
Wenatchee Pride June 22, 2023, 11a-9p at Memorial Park. It is about celebrating as a community of LGBTQ+ families and straight allies with live entertainment, youth activities, food, beer garden, and vendors.