Cities That Hosted Inaugural Pride Parades in 2018

Each June, cities around the world celebrate equality in the form of a Pride parade, often preceded or followed by parties commemorating 50 years of working toward gay rights. After cutting through red tape and breaking through religious and cultural barriers, the following cities hosted their first-ever Pride festivals this year.

Yonkers, N.Y.

On June 9, the city of Yonkers held its first Pride festival. Although the inaugural year didn’t feature a parade, organizers hope this year’s drew enough people to plan a parade for next year’s event. Attending Yonkers Pride was free except for wristbands for alcohol purchases and VIP tickets, which included front-row seats for the drag race.

Aurora, Ill.

The Midwest is sprouting a handful of new Pride celebrations, one held on Father’s Day in Illinois’ second-largest city. Despite a previous obstacle presented by a small religious group, Pride was eventually approved as a “G-rated” event middle- and high-school students could attend.

New Britain, Conn.

After the City Council passed a resolution to declare June as Pride Month, the city held its first event this year with a special exhibit at the Museum of American Art and a New Britain Bees baseball game, where half the proceeds were donated to New Britain Pride.

Antarctica

Pride knows no boundaries, a fact evidenced most by the first-ever celebration in Antarctica, a country where the LGBTQ+ community is protected under United Nations laws.