June is Pride Month, a time to honor the legacy of the 1969 Stonewall riots and celebrate the LGBTQ+ community. Here are four ways to celebrate if you’re in Berkeley this summer.
- Check out the “Queer California: Untold Stories” exhibit at the Oakland Museum of California.
Open through August, this powerful exhibit tells stories of LGBTQ+ strength, resistance, tenderness and love throughout our beautiful state. It gives more context to some of the historical events you may already be familiar with, and it also sheds light on more personal, individualized stories of queer and trans Californians across generations.
- Attend a Pride parade.
Take BART over to San Francisco and join in the largest Pride celebration in the country. If crowds aren’t your thing, Oakland’s parade or Berkeley’s PRIDE on The Plaza are sure to be smaller and a bit more manageable. If you’re straight, tread lightly here. Pride is, first and foremost, an event for LBGTQ+ folks to celebrate their identities and honor generations of resilience against discrimination and violence. Make sure you’re attending Pride as a genuine ally, not someone just focused on snapping the perfect Instagram pic.
- Register for San Francisco’s Pride Run.
Need some exercise? Choose either a 5K or 10K course through beautiful Golden Gate Park, and run to celebrate yourself! This wholesome event encourages participants to bring their costumes, families and unabashed pride to a celebration of movement and love. Plus, all registration proceeds go to Gender Spectrum, a Bay Area-based nonprofit that provides resources and services, such as sensitivity training, to foster safe and inclusive environments for people of all genders.
- If you’re an ally, be there for your LGBTQ+ friends.
Give them a hug, remind them how much you love them, and ask them how they’d like to celebrate Pride Month. And of course, if you’re an identifying member of the LGBTQ+ community, keep doing you — unapologetically.
Happy Pride, y’all! Remember, love is love is love is love.
