June is National Pride Month and Honolulu’s Pride Month Coming Up in October!
Aloha!
It’s June and that means it’s National Pride Month. So, what is Pride Month and why do we celebrate it every June? With celebrations occurring year-round across the nation and around the globe, the nation celebrates June as LGBT Pride Month in honor of the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan (which sparked the Gay Pride movement) and recognizes the influence the LGBTQ+ community has around the world.
The first Pride march in New York City was held on June 28, 1970, on the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising. Pride Month is a significant movement to represent equal opportunity for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender and Queer people.
Gay Pride is a movement that celebrates sexual diversity, to promote dignity, equal rights, self-affirmation, a way of encouraging inclusivity and also continuing showing the world that #LoveisLove, an on-going pursuit.
June is also marks a powerful milestone for equality, it’s the month that same-sex marriage was legalized in the United States, and the Pulse Night of Remembrance commemorates the loss of 49 people in the Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida on June 12, 2016.
Photo by GayTravel.com
To celebrate National LGBT Pride Month this June, the Hawai’i LGBT Legacy Foundation has traditionally hosted several community events during June, and into July, including SPLASH and the Community Picnic at Queenʻs Surf Beach Park! Check out the Community Events Calendar for June events + projects taking place throughout the island that educate, unify and empower LGBTQ+ people as integral members of Hawai’i’s larger diverse community as well as Gay Island Guide – some highlights below if you have plans to visit Oahu this month.
Give OUT Day: National Day of LGBTQ Giving – All Month Long
Give OUT Day is a month-long fundraising campaign culminating on June 30, the only national day of giving for the LGBTQ community. In 2020 alone, Give OUT Day raised over $1.6 million for LGBTQ nonprofits in all 50 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico. Give OUT Day is hosted by Horizons Foundation, the world’s first LGBTQ community foundation. Learn more here – https://www.giveoutday.org/giving-events/giveout22/home.
Mimosas & Marys – Monthly, Sunday, June 4
Daytime Drag and Variety Show at Hula’s Bar & Lei Stand takes place from 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm – on June 4, Mimosas & Mary’s will present a Honolulu AIDS Walk special show and Hula’s will match any donations.
Bacchus Trivia Night – Monday, June 6 (Bacchus Waikiki is a two-minute walk from our hotel, Coconut Waikiki Hotel)
Waikiki’s friendliest gay bar is hosting a Trivia Night! Everyone’s welcome to join at the bar for trivia every other Monday night at 7:00pm where teams of 2-6 players are quizzed on a wide variety of themed topics. The winning teams get prizes that vary from cash and gift certificates to swag and doo-hickeys!
Aloha Bears Booze Cruise – Sunday, June 12 (second Sundays)
The Aloha Bears’ popular Catamaran Cruise sets sail every second Sunday of the month. Ticket purchasers meet at 11:30 a.m. at Bacchus Waikiki, 408 Lewers Street to check in, meet and greet other passengers, and enjoy a cocktail or two, and then walk over Waikiki to board the the boat as a group at 12:40 p.m. An open bar on board ensures a good time for all. After the 1 hour sail, you’re invited back to Bacchus for lunch (included in the price of the ticket) and a few more cocktails at 2:30 p.m.
Rainbows Across the Pacific – Honolulu Rainbow Film Festival – Saturday June 18
The Honolulu Rainbow Film Festival is holding its first live screening since the pandemic on the Great Lawn of the Bishop Museum – one of the most beautiful outdoor venues in Honolulu. Rainbows Across the Pacific features nine queer short films from across Oceania, including two from local filmmakers. Prior to the screening, guests will have an opportunity to tour the Healer Stones of Kapaemahu exhibition, revealing the long-hidden history of this unique monument to healing, diversity, and inclusion in the heart of Waikiki.
Pride Community Picnic – Saturday, June 25, 2022 at Kapiolani Park
Join Hawaiʻiʻs LGBTQIA2S+ community on June 25 at the Pride Community Picnic. Hosted by the Hawaiʻi LGBT Legacy Foundation and the Hawai’i Health & Harm Reduction Center (HHHRC), the FREE Picnic will take place in Kapiolani Park, immediately following the 2022 Honolulu AIDS Walk. Spend a day supporting HHHRC and their work building awareness and helping those with HIV/AIDS, and then have fun at the Pride Community Picnic with queer families, friends, colleagues and our allies. Ono delicious picnic lunch, games, entertainment and more. Save the date and stay tuned for more details.
Photo by GayTravel.com
HONOLULU PRIDE MONTH IN OCTOBER!
Oahu hosts their own dedicated Honolulu’s Pride Month every October, with various celebrations throughout the month including a Honolulu Pride Parade and Festival, a project of the Hawai’i LGBT Legacy Foundation, which is slated to take place on Saturday, October 15, 2022 this year. Also celebrated in October is LGBT History Month, National Coming Out Day (October 11) and Spirit Day (October 17)! For the latest updates on Pride Month and events – we recommend signing up for The Hawaii LGBT Legacy Foundation newsletter!
If you’re looking for a good time, some our the island’s gay-friendly bars and restaurants in Oahu include BACCHUS WAIKIKI, Hula’s Bar & Lei Stand, Imua Lounge, In Between Waikiki, Scarlet Honolulu, Tapa’s Restaurant & Lanai Bar, Wang Chung’s Karaoke Bar!
We can’t wait to celebrate this month and in October with our community!
Mahalo!
Coconut Waikiki Hotel Team