June is a month of celebration, remembrance and resistance for New York City’s LGBTQ+ community.

For over 55 years, LGBTQ New Yorkers and their friends have come together to mark the anniversary of the Stonewall Riots — an uprising in the West Village that took place in the summer of 1969 and later sparked a global movement for queer liberation.

In 2025, the fight for LGBTQ equality feels as urgent as ever, but the community continues to turn defiance into joy. This Pride Month, expect to see even more events that embrace Stonewall’s spirit of protest and celebration as the community shows it will never back down in the face of adversity.

Here’s how you can get started. Happy Pride!

Saturday, May 31

Staten Island Pride Festival: Live Outside the Box, Staten Island

Sure, it’s technically not even Pride Month yet — but the celebration of LGBTQ+ unity and exuberance is already underway on Staten Island. The season’s first borough-wide Pride Festival kicks off in Livingston with a fun-filled afternoon of performances, activities, food, drinks and, of course, free mechanical bull rides. Amy Rice, deputy director of communications for the NYC Department of Small Business Services and a third-generation Staten Islander, serves as this year’s grand marshal. Free shuttle bus service is available from the St. George Ferry Terminal to Snug Harbor. Free. 12-5 p.m. at Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden, 1000 Richmond Terrace. 

Icons Festival, Manhattan

Queer history takes center stage in Manhattan’s Theater District, with two productions spotlighting the lives of Stormé DeLarverie — the late drag king and outspoken queer rights icon — and Tennessee Williams, the Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright who introduced Blanche DuBois to the world. Being presented as part of the festival are “Stormé,” a musical play by Carolyn M. Brown, and “Tennessee Williams: Portrait of a Gay Icon,” a one-man play by Bernard Taylor starring John Stillwaggon. Showtimes and ticket prices vary. Runs from May 31-June 15 at the American Theater of Actors, 314 W. 54th St.

Pride Eve, Manhattan

St. John the Divine Cathedral is back with its annual Iconic Pride series, featuring a vibrant mix of new and returning events throughout June. The festivities kick off with Pride Eve, an event featuring the turning on of the cathedral’s beloved Pride lights, which this year will also include the colors of the transgender Pride flag. The evening also includes a cocktail hour, crafts, tours, a raffle and a performance by the New York-based artist and tassel archivist Greedy Peasant. Suggested ticket price of $75. 6-9 p.m. at St. John the Divine, 1047 Amsterdam Ave.

Sunday, June 1

The New Queens Pride Parade and Festival, Jackson Heights

The second-oldest Pride March in New York City returns for its 33rd edition, bringing a vibrant celebration of LGBTQ power and resilience to the heart of Jackson Heights. The all-day, all-slay event begins by uniting the borough’s colorful blend of cultures, identities and communities in a gag-worthy march along 37th Avenue. It continues with a street festival featuring performances by some of NYC’s fiercest queer and trans talent, including Haus of US, Kimaya Saul Balenciaga, Gotham Cheer and Austin Halls. “Drag Race” superstar Aja, NYC nightlife king Julius Caesar and Ballroom pop princess Lolita Leopard serve as hosts. Free. Parade: kickoff at noon at 37th Ave. (89th St.). Festival: 12-6 p.m., at 37th Rd. (75th St.)

Monday, June 2

This Is Me! Pride Celebration, The Bronx

Hey teens! Show off your true colors and enjoy the company of your LGBTQ+ family in an afternoon of art-making, celebration and self-expression put on by the New York Public Library. Strike a pose in a photo booth, upgrade your lewk with a temporary tattoo, or get crafty with Pride-themed bracelets and Perler bead keychains. Open to ages 13-18. Free. 3-4 p.m. at Edenwald Library, 1255 E. 233rd St.

Tuesday, June 3

Pride at Maysles with screenings of three films by Marlon T. Riggs, Manhattan

Maysles Documentary Center, a Harlem-based nonprofit that uses filmmaking to amplify underrepresented artists and narratives, is celebrating the legacy of Marlon T. Riggs. The gay Black filmmaker and activist, who died of AIDS-related complications in 1994 at the age of 37, used his work to confront racism and homophobia while unapologetically exploring Black gay male desires and dreams. The evening will feature three of his most influential films, including the award-winning documentary “Tongues Untied,” as well as a post-screening discussion with Kathryn T. Hall, Jafari Sinclaire Allen and Steven G. Fullwood. $15 general admission / $7 reduced price. 7 p.m. at MDC, 343 Malcolm X Blvd.

Queer Ballroom Pride Series, Manhattan

Life’s a ball, so get up on the ballroom floor! Celebrate Pride by learning new variations of classic ballroom dances — like the tango, cha-cha, rumba, foxtrot and salsa — in a welcoming environment where you can embrace queer joy and dance with confidence among your LGBTQ+ siblings. This four-week, level 2 workshop is led by world champion same-sex ballroom dancer Robbie Tristan and designed for students who have some experience with ballroom basics. No partner necessary. $129. Every Tuesday in June, 7:30-8:30 p.m. at Ripley-Grier Studios, 520 8th Ave., 16th/17th Floor.

Wednesday, June 4

Cinema With a Cause: “Rustin,” Brooklyn

The life and legacy of Bayard Rustin — an unsung hero of the Civil Rights Movement — made it to Oscar night in 2024 thanks to Colman Domingo’s stunning portrayal of the gay Black man who helped orchestrate the 1963 March on Washington. “Rustin,” originally released in November 2023, is now back on the big screen in a special Pride edition of Cinema With a Cause, a monthly series of free film screenings organized by the Center for Law and Social Justice. Free popcorn and soda. 6-8:30 p.m. at EOJ Auditorium at Medgar Evers College, 1638 Bedford Ave.

Thursday, June 5

Gabbing With Gays: Our Stories/Our Selves, Jackson Heights

Gabbing With Gays, a community-based oral history project, is inviting LGBTQ New Yorkers to strengthen their bonds and harvest resilience through the sharing of Pride stories at the Queens Public Library. Participants will listen to pre-recorded narratives via transistor radios, then have the chance to share their own experiences and celebrate diversity within the community. The event, organized in collaboration with social justice theater The Seeing Place, will close with a guided meditation. Free. 5:30-7 p.m. at QPL in Jackson Heights, 35-51 81st St. 

Hot Gay Pride Party, Brooklyn

This Pride kickoff comedy event brings together queer women, trans hotties and gays for an evening of laughing and dancing — all while supporting the vital work of Trans Lifeline, the nation’s first transgender crisis hotline. Hosted by New York City-based funny lady Emily Dayton Evans, the night will feature standup sets and musical comedy acts from some of the city’s hottest, gayest talent, including Isa Medina and Esther Fallick, with music by Warm Advice and mini-readings by astrologer Kate Name. Open to ages 21+. $19, with all proceeds going to support Trans Lifeline. 8 p.m. at Littlefield, 635 Sackett St., Gowanus.

Friday, June 6

Quiet Queers: Pajama Party, Manhattan

The Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library — the NYPL’s recently renovated, MoMA-like building — is calling LGBTQ+ teens to its stunning rooftop terrace in the heart of Manhattan for a low-key but high-fun Pride celebration. The theme for this year’s Quiet Queers event is “Pajama Party,” so guests are encouraged to wear their favorite PJs and bring a stuffed animal for a special photo booth session. The afternoon will feature free snacks, arts and crafts, a teen-curated queer playlist, LGBTQ+ book lists and more. Open to ages 13-18. Free. 2-5 p.m. at SNFL’s event center, 455 Fifth Ave.

Sip & Stitch: Pride Paddle Party, Manhattan

Described as “NYC’s sexiest workshop,” this paddle-making extravaganza is not for the vanilla-loving crew. Leather designer Anthony Luciano‘s first-ever Sip & Stitch: Pride Paddle Party will kick off the month’s celebrations with a three-hour immersive experience in which participants can enjoy the timeless art of drag while sipping fine wine, enjoying artisanal charcuterie and designing their very own leather spanking paddle. “Drag Me to Dinner” star Selma Nilla serves as host. Open to ages 21+. $156, with a portion of the proceeds benefitting The Center. 7-10 p.m. at the Anthony Luciano Studio, 347 W. 36th St., Suite 1300.

CUNY Pridefest at Queens College, Flushing 

Students, faculty and staff from all 25 CUNY schools across the five boroughs are coming together for a colorful display of community and joy at the 8th annual CUNY Pridefest. The popular celebration will feature drag numbers, vogue dancers and games on the mainstage, as well as an expo area with stands by organizations serving the local LGBTQ+ community. DJ Unico will provide the beats. The first 500 attendees will receive a free CUNY Pridefest T-shirt. Open to the public. Free. 12-4 p.m. at the Queens College Quad, 65-30 Kissena Blvd. (Rain location: Main Dining Hall.)

Saturday, June 7

Women’s Pride in the Pines, Fire Island

LGBTQ women and their friends are once again preparing for a marathon of mingling and dancing in the magically queer enclave of Fire Island Pines — and all for a good cause. Proceeds from the 14th annual edition of Women’s Pride in the Pines will benefit the Callen-Lorde Community Health Center. The all-day event features wine and vodka open bars, a silent auction, and entertainment by singer-songwriter EJ Garlands and nightlife legend Hedda Lettuce. DJ Susan Queen Levin will work — and werk — the beats. Tickets start at $150. 1-9 p.m. at Whyte Hall, 577 Fire Island Blvd.

LGBTQ+ History Museum Tour at Alice Austen House, Staten Island

Built in 1690 as a one-room Dutch farmhouse, the Alice Austen House is one of the most significant landmarks in the nation’s LGBTQ+ history. It’s where groundbreaking photographer Alice Austen — whose work challenged gender norms more than a century ago — grew up and later lived with her partner of nearly 55 years, Gertrude Tate. The Victorian Gothic cottage is now a museum and a nationally designated site of LGBTQ significance. To celebrate Pride Month, the museum is offering a guided tour where visitors can immerse themselves in Austen’s work and explore her trailblazing life and enduring legacy. Suggested donation of $10. 1-2 p.m. at the Alice Austen House, 2 Hylan Blvd.

Blasian Pride, Brooklyn

The Blasian Pride March celebrates the power, creativity and joy of the Black, Asian and Blasian LGBTQ communities at a time of rampant discrimination and rising intolerance. Now in its fifth year, the grassroots action — which first took to the streets of NYC in October 2020 — has expanded to cities across the U.S., sharing its mission of breaking boundaries through art, education and unity. “Blasian Pride is a space for joy as resistance,” said founder Rohan Zhou-Lee. “It reclaims the intersectional connections destroyed by white supremacy. If our struggles are interconnected, then so too should our movements.” Free. 2-4:30 p.m. at Cadman Plaza East, Downtown Brooklyn.

The Killer Queen Drag Spectacular, Manhattan

Want to kick off the first weekend of Pride Month where it all began? Head to the historic Stonewall Inn for a day of drag-out-loud fun while raising funds for two incredible charities based at Manhattan’s Metropolitan Community Church: the Global Justice Institute and Sylvia’s Place, one of the city’s largest LGBTQ+ shelters and food pantries. Host Lala Wiggy — who credits MCC with helping her through the “darkest days of [her] life” — leads 11 New York City-based queens on a journey through sisterhood and drag in this one-of-a-kind show. Tickets start at $15. 4-7 p.m. at 53 Christopher St.

Originally Published: May 31, 2025 at 7:00 AM EDT