In his 2002 book Skipping Towards Gomorrah, Dan Savage imagined a time in the not-too-distant future when Pride would be something celebrated not just by the LGBTQ+ community, but by everyone, similar to the way so many Americans of all backgrounds wear green to salute the Irish on St. Patrick’s Day. Two decades later, even as a wave of anti-LGBTQ+ animus seems to be gaining renewed political traction on the right, we’re arguably a lot closer to Savage’s prediction becoming a reality than a lot of us probably ever thought possible.
In recent years, it’s become increasingly common to see major corporations roll out rainbow-splattered Pride campaigns in June, while celebrity allies wish the LGBTQ+ community a happy Pride Month. And this year is no different. On Thursday, tons of out stars and famous allies took to social media to say happy Pride.
Related:
President Joe Biden proclaims June Pride Month & calls Stonewall rioters “courageous”
Biden said that the LGBTQ+ movement “has grown stronger, more vibrant, and more inclusive with every passing year.”
If marking the start of Pride were a contest, Kim Cattrall might just be this year’s frontrunner. The Queer as Folk actor seemingly confirmed leaked reports this week that she would be reprising her Sex and the City role with a surprise cameo in the second season of Max’s And Just Like That in an Instagram post. The caption: “Happy Pride.”
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Across the pond, during a recent London stop on her Renaissance Tour, Beyoncé wished the crowd a happy Pride.
The Crown alum Emma Corrin posted a pic from their sunny garden, marking the start of Pride season. “Happy pride month,” they wrote. “live truthfully and love hard….yourself and others.”
Meanwhile, fellow English actor Will Poulter—last seen in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3—celebrated the start of Pride with a call to donate to Rainbow Railroad, an organization dedicated to helping LGBTQ+ people escape oppression and state-sponsored violence around the world.
“Pride is every month in my house,” RuPaul’s Drag Race judge Michelle Visage wrote in a post featuring an image of an intersex-inclusive Progress Pride flag. “We celebrate inclusion in Casa Visage and EVERY SINGLE BODY IS WELCOME! I love you all!!! HAPPY PRIDE MONTH DARLINGS, mama loves you!”
Out comedian Wanda Sykes’s Pride message was aimed directly at allies, highlighting the precarious position the LGBTQ+ community finds itself in this year.
“It’s #PrideMonth once again, and the best thing you can do today is get educated,” she wrote in an Instagram post. “Support #LGBTQIA peoples and businesses in your lives and community. Look out for them – yes, ‘love is love’ but the threats are real and they’re dangerous. We have to stand up and against anti-LGBTQIA legislation. But Pride is more than rallies and ‘activism’, as an ally the best thing you can do is foster understanding and awareness of the ongoing struggle for us to exist safely in this space. The only way forward is to do this together.”
Elsewhere, Niecy Nash, Shania Twain, Demi Lovato, Lynda Carter, and Nate Berkus all gave a social media shoutout to Pride, while Kesha declared Pride Month “THE MOST WONDERFUL TIIIIIME OF THE YEAR.”
On Twitter, Ariana DeBose teamed up with Elmo to deliver a message uplifting and celebrating “our LGBTQIA+ family, friends, and community,” and making it clear that “everyone is always welcome on Sesame Street.”
That’s just a sampling of the Pride messages that have started appearing so far, and with June just getting started, more are sure to come. Say it again, “Happy Pride!”