10 LGBTQI+-friendly cities around the world and where to celebrate Pride 2022
Love is love! In this post, we're headed around the world in pursuit of the very best cities that welcome LGBTIQ+ folx. These are the most progressive, inclusive and accepting destinations around the world where you can really show your pride. Now that Pride festivals are back in 2022 read on for details about some of the world's best pride events happening this year.
New York & Pride Origins
We cannot discuss Pride without paying homage to New York City. The first celebration of Pride dates back to June 28, 1970, in commemoration of the one year anniversary of the Stonewall riots in 1969.
Throughout the 1960s police raids and subsequent brutality were common among the LGBTQ+ friendly bars, but the Stonewall riots was one of the first and most historic events in which the community fought back.
In 1969, police raided Stonewall Inn, a bar in Greenwich Village, New York which served as a safe haven for the city's queer community, and the community resisted.
Marsha “Pay it No Mind” Johnson (1945-1992) was a Black trans woman and Sylvia Rivera a trans activist and drag queen were forces behind the Stonewall Riots and surrounding activism that sparked a new phase of the LGBTQ+ movement in 1969.
Marsha said the "P" stood for "Pay it no mind" - a phrase they used when people commented negatively on their appearance or life choices.
Today, June has been declared LGBTQ+ Pride Month and the celebration of Pride has become global. Pride is a time to recognize the struggles that the LGBTQ+ community has endured and to celebrate the individuals who have bravely fought- and continue to fight- for full equality and liberation. NYC Pride is one of the largest Pride celebrations on the planet and runs for nearly two weeks. The main festivities including the parade and music festival will be held during the weekend of June 24-26.
2022 Pride dates: June 15-26
London
London has been one of the most prominent epicenters of queer culture for hundreds of years, dating all the way back to the city’s 18th-century “Molly Houses”, which were secret meeting places for LGBTIQ+ people. Soho, in London’s West End, has historically been the city’s epicenter of queer life, and to this day, it remains a hub of the city's LGBTIQ+ bars, shops and clubs. London is known for its brimming underground LGBTIQ+ scene that can be found at rotating parties, like those put on by Cybil’s House and Admiral Duncan.
2022 Pride dates: July 2, 2022. London Pride is the biggest Pride celebration in the UK, and one of the largest in Europe, and the world!
Berlin
Berlin truly has something for everyone, from the candy store of bars, clubs, clothing-optional parks and saunas, fetish parties, dungeons, all night raves...the list goes on.
Fun Fact: Berlin’s first openly gay mayor – Klaus Wowereit was in office for 13 years to 2014.
Berlin has a reputation for debauchery but have you every wondered how that came to be?
Follow sexologist Jeff Mannes as he takes you through the Berlin's History of Sex.
"Dive into the history of sexual science and sex life in Berlin. Start in the late 19th Century and go through the roaring 2https://berlinguide.de/en/city-tours/berlins-history-of-sex-in-augmented-reality/0s and the downfall of sexual freedom at the hand of the Nazis. Learn about the resurrection of sexuality after the war in a divided Berlin, as well as the current state of affairs today."
2022 Pride dates: July 23rd, 2022 Berlin Pride also known as Christopher Street Day Berlin, or CSD Berlin
San Francisco
The first events resembling the modern San Francisco Pride parade and celebration were held on June
27th, 1970: Organized by the San Francisco Gay Liberation Front, a "Gay Liberation March" saw 20 to 30 people walk from Aquatic Park to Civic Center on Polk Street. The following day there was “gay-in” in Golden Gate Park. From these humble beginnings Pride in San Francisco grew to an event hosting millions of people from around the world.
Visit Labor of Love online exhibition for a complete archive of San Francisco's LGBTQ+ history.
2022 Pride Dates: Celebration June 25th & 26th — 11am-6pm
Parade June 26th — begins 10:30am
Brighton, UK
Brighton and Hove is home to one of the largest LGBTQ+ community in the United Kingdom. Brighton, a seaside resort on the south coast of England, has earned its status as the"gay capital" of the UK, with records pertaining to LGBTQ+ history dating back to the early 19th century.
During the Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815), it’s understood that the influx of soldiers to Brighton during these years coincides with the first recorded LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer) history in the community. In the 1930s, gay and lesbian bars and pubs spread throughout the city and Brighton quickly became a safe haven for Londoners to let loose and explore their sexuality.
2022 Pride Dates: Brighton Pride will begin on Friday, August 5 and ends on Sunday, August 7
Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica
Manuel Antonio is the LGBTQ beach and jungle destination in Costa Rica! Located on the Pacific approximately 80km south west of San Jose, Manuel is an LGBTQ+ haven nestled amongst the tropical coastline lush jungle.
2022 Pride Dates: Celebrate Pride on the Beach on July 16th in Manuel Antonio hosted by Gay Tours ! Additionally, there is a Pride parade in Costa Rica's capital, San Jose on June 26th, 2022
Can't make it for pride? Every Sunday there is a community beach party on Playa Espadilla! Click here for even more events year-round. Visit Gay Manuel Antonio to find LGBTQ+ owned and welcoming hotels, events, bars, beaches, restaurants, tours and more!
Melbourne, Australia
Melbourne has a reputation as an open and accepting cosmopolitan city and is Australia’s largest country queer festival Chillout Festival, a plethora of gay and lesbian events like International favourite Melbourne Queer Film Festival and is building a Pride Centre dedicated to LGBTI culture the city says will rival San Francisco's LGBTI Community Centre.
2022 Pride dates: Feb 13 (Australian Summer)
Barcelona, Spain
Spain has long been at the forefront of LGBTIQ+ rights. In 2005 the nation legalized same-sex marriage and has since enacted numerous laws that ensure protection for the queer community, including those who are nonbinary and trans. Platja de la Mar Bella is Barcelona’s premier gay and nude beach with most beachgoers happy to let is all hang out. Barcelona’s L'Eixample neighborhood is one of the biggest LGBTIQ+ boroughs in all of Europe. It’s even been lovingly given the nickname “Gaixample”. Here, you’ll find LGBTIQ+ owned and welcoming beauty salons, bookshops, saunas, cafes, bars, restaurants, sex shops and everything in-between.
Fun Fact: The Axel Hotel was the first hotel in the world to declare itself hetero-friendly.
Among the numerous other LGBTIQ+ hotspots, Arena Classic is a popular lesbian bar that’s a staple to the local community, and Candy Darling, a Warhol-inspired club, sees partygoers dance nightly until the sun comes up. Check out Travel Gay and Travel Gay for Women to book LGBTQ+ welcoming hotels, bars, events, and more.
2022 Pride dates: June 23-26, 2022. Barcelona Pride's official lineup and event info are still to come.
Portland, Oregon
The city the boasts all things, "Weird," is definitely a place to celebrate pride! The City of Roses has a long history of gay rights activism and LGBTQ+ inclusiveness. Pride has been celebrated in Portland since the early 1970s, with the first outdoor celebration in 1976. Visit GayPdx for a complete guide to LGBTQ+ bars, restaurants, and services and check out Travel Portland for a full rundown of Portland's LGBTQ+ History.
2022 Pride dates: June 18–19, 2022 at Tom McCall Waterfront Park
Seattle, Washington
Seattle has come a long way from it's anti sodomy laws from 1893 and is now known globally as an LGBTQ+ inclusive city. Click here for a run down on Seattle's LGBTQ+ history.
The Museum of Pop Culture also has pride events like Adult drag camp, Queer History Bike Ride, and more.
2022 Pride Dates: June 26, 2022, Downtown Seattle (4th Ave) & August 13-th14th in Alki Beach
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