Pride Month celebrates the LGBTQ+ community and honors those who fought for equal rights. The first Pride parade took place on June 28, 1970, as a commemoration of the Stonewall Inn riots the year before, which protested the unfair treatment and frequent police raids targeting the gay community.
Pride Month was first recognized in 1994 by educational-based organizations and was initially marked in October. In 1999, President Bill Clinton declared June as Pride Month. Today, the month is celebrated nationwide, with some events taking place here in Connecticut.
From Out CT’s LGBTQ Film Festival to the Milford Pride Ball, read below to find out about some Pride events that are happening around the state this month.
Avon
Avon Free Public Library’s Proud to Be Me Storytime
When: Mondays, June 17 & 24
Where: Avon Free Public Library, 281 Country Club Rd.
Berlin
Coles Road Brewing’s Pride Night
When: Wednesday, June 12
Where: Coles Road Brewing, 817 Farmington Ave.
Bridgeport
Greater Bridgeport Pride Event
When: Saturday, June 22
Where: Locations vary throughout the day. At 2 p.m., the Pride March takes place in downtown. Participants will march to Wheeler Park for Unity in the Park.
East Hampton
CT Pride Stroll
When: Saturday, June 22
Where: Main Street
Enfield
Enfield Pride Celebration
When: Saturday, June 15
Where: Enfield UCC, 1295 Enfield St.
Hamden
Visibility Kiki Ball
When: Friday, June 14
Where: Whitneyville Cultural Commons, 1253 Whitney Ave.
Hartford
Hartford Yard Goats’ Pride Night
When: Thursday, June 13
Where: Dunkin' Park, 1214 Main St.
Out Film CT’s 37th Connecticut LGBTQ Film Festival
When: Friday, June 14 - Saturday, June 22
Where: Cinestudio, 300 Summit St.
Milford
Milford Pride Ball
When: Friday, June 28
Where: 40 Railroad Ave.
When: Saturday, June 29
Where: Milford Green, 129 S Broad St.
Middlebury
Pride in the Hills' Quassy Friends and Family Day
When: Saturday, June 22
Where: Quassy Amusement Park, 2132 Middlebury Rd.
Middletown
Books and Brews at Stubborn Beauty
When: Thursday, June 13
Where: Stubborn Beauty, 180 Johnson St.
When: Monday, June 24
Where: Russell Library, 123 Broad St.
New Britain
Faith + Pride: Bridging Communities in Our City
When: Thursday, June 20
Where: New Britain Senior Center, 55 Pearl St.
New Haven
New Haven Pride Center’s Drag Bingo
When: Thursday, June 13
Where: 50 Orange St.
When: Saturday, June 15
Where: APNH: A Place to Nourish Your Health, 1302 Chapel St.
New London
Everyone Deserves Pride Vigil
When: Thursday, June 20
Where: New London City Hall, 181 State St.
When: Thursday, June 20
Where: State Street and South Water Street
Norwich
Otis Library’s Pride Storytime
When: Thursday, June 13
Where: 261 Main St.
When: Saturday, June 22
Where: Donald Oats Theater, 62 Broadway
Ridgefield
Rainbow Family Storytime
When: Wednesdays, June 12, 19, and 26
Where: Ridgefield Library, 472 Main St.
Simsbury
Celebrating Pride: Rainbow Craft
When: Wednesdays, June 12 and 26
Where: Simsbury Public Library, 725 Hopmeadow St.
Stamford
Movies That Build Community: Pride
When: Wednesday, June 19
Where: Avon Theatre, 272 Bedford St.
When: Friday, June 21
Where: First Presbyterian Church, 1101 Bedford St.
Wallingford
LGBTQ+ News: Current Topics for Queer People & Their Allies
When: Thursday, June 13
Where: Wallingford Public Library, 200 North Main St.
We Are Here, We Are Queer Film Series
When: Fridays, June 14 and 21
Where: Wallingford Public Library, 200 North Main St.
Waterbury
Greater Waterbury Pride Fest
When: Saturday, June 29
Where: Silas Bronson Library Front Lawn, 267 Grand St.
West Hartford
Month of Pride
When: Celebrations happen throughout June, with a festival on Saturday, June 22.
Where: Locations vary. Festival is at West Hartford Town Hall, 50 S. Main St.
West Redding
Bethel CT Pride’s Moth Night at New Pond Farm
When: Saturday, June 15
Where: New Pond Farm, 101 Marchant Rd.
Westport
Westport PRIDE’s Chic and Cheeky
When: Friday, June 14
Where: MoCA Westport, 19 Newtown Turnpike
OUTspoken: Stories of LGBTQ+ Pride
When: Friday, June 28
Where: Westport Library, 20 Jesup Road
