Black Pride 2026

Why Black LGBTQ+ Pride?

Mainstream Pride has grown into a national celebration, but the truth is not everyone has always been included. Early Prides started as a protest, but over time, celebrations have way too often centered the experiences of white, cisgender, gay men leaving many Black queer folks pushed to the margins.

Beginning in 1991, with DC Black Pride, the Black Gay Pride movement began as a way to provide Black Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer plus (LGBTQ+) people with an alternative to the largely white mainstream LGBTQ+ movement and to unite the Black queer community in response to the HIV/AIDS crisis that was affecting Black and brown people. Depending on where you live, Black LGBTQ+ people are still not fully seen, centered, or protected in mainstream Pride celebrations. The "+" represents the vast spectrum of gender identities, biological sexes, and sexual orientations that fall outside cisgender and are not explicitly included in the acronym.

Black Pride provides space and encourages Black people to celebrate who we are, uplift our culture and heritage in a safe and affirming environment. Our goal in hosting our first Black Pride is to bring together African Americans and other LGBTQ+ People of Color to show unity, increase visibility of Black queer voices and talents, and embrace our collective joy.

We come together to honor our stories, celebrate our resilience, and build a stronger, more connected community.