June 2019: LGBTQ Pride Month and Juneteenth

LGBTQ Pride Month

Each year, the month of June celebrates Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Pride Month (LGBTQ Pride Month), in recognition of the 1969 Stonewall riots. The Stonewall riots were a series of spontaneous demonstrations by members of the LGBTQ community. They were a tipping point in the United States and are widely considered the most important event leading to the Gay Liberation Movement.

Celebrate LGBTQ Month at these Missouri events:

Western Missouri

• The Kansas City Diversity Coalition presents Kansas City Pride Fest 2019. This festival is a place where everyone from all backgrounds, sexual orientations, and gender identities can come together and celebrate our diversity as a supportive and loving LGBTQIA+ community. This year, “Diversity Not Division” was chosen as the PrideFest theme to reflect this ideal. This special event takes place May 31 – June 2 and features musical guests Material Girl, DJ Barry Harris, Steve Grand, Mýa, Josh Zuckerman, and Daya. For more information or to view the event schedule, please visit online.

• The 20th Annual Kansas City LGBT Film Festival: Out Here Now will take place June 21 – June 25 at Unity Temple on the Plaza. This special event features over 50 LGBT film premieres from filmmakers across the globe, the Midwest premiere of Gay Chorus Deep South, co-presented by the Heartland Men’s Chorus, and a special screening event to honor the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots. For more information, please visit online, call the Festival Information Line at 816-200-2059, or email Festival Director Jamie Rich at jamierich@outherenow.com

• The LGBTQ Women of Color Kansas City are hosting a Meetup on June 1. LGBTQ Women of Color Kansas City is a social networking group for all women of color, ages 21 and older, who identify as being part of the LGBTQ community. This Meetup serves to connect women from all across the city in social settings. Please visit online for more details.

Central Missouri

• Join Mid-Missouri PrideFest for the 3rd Annual Pride Pub Crawl. Mid-Missouri PrideFest is an annual celebration of the lesbian, gay, transgender, queer, questioning, and ally community in Mid-Missouri. The Pub Crawl is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. on June 7 in the Downtown District Columbia. For more information, please visit online.

• The Center Project, a grassroots nonprofit organization focused on the needs of LGBTQ individuals and communities, presents Journey Towards Inclusive Excellence. The Center Project is a mid-Missouri organization designed as a safe and open space supporting the under-served sexuality and gender-based groups within the region, including youth, families, and those living in rural communities. On June 18 from 6 – 8 p.m. at The Center Project facility located at 515 Hickman Avenue in Columbia. For more information about this special event, please contact Kari Utterback at kari.utterback@como.gov. 

• JOMO Pride, Inc., presents the 2019 Downtown Diversity Pride Pageant. This year’s pageant theme is, “Show Your Pride,” and features a silent auction and 50/50 raffle in addition to crowning Mr. and Miss JOMO Pride. This special event takes place on June 7 at the Wilder’s Event Center in Joplin. For more information or to view the event schedule, please visit online.

Eastern Missouri

• PrideSTL presents the 40th Annual PrideFest 2019. In 2017, PrideFest broke previous records, with an estimated 300,000 people in attendance. This special event, taking place on June 29 and 30, features a variety of entertainment, music, vendors, and a parade. For more information, to donate, or to view the event details, please visit the PrideSTL website.

• Proudout, in connection with PrideSTL, presents the First Sunday Supper. Each month, PrideSTL hosts a community potluck dinner where individuals eat, talk, play cards and board games, and be in community for an afternoon. This recurring event takes place on June 2 beginning at 1 p.m. at the Pride St. Louis facility located at 3738 Chouteau Avenue. Attendees are encouraged to bring a side dish and their appetite. Please visit online for more details.

Juneteenth

The month of June also includes Juneteenth, the oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States. Also known as Freedom Day, Juneteenth is an abbreviation of “June nineteenth” and honors the announcement of the abolition of slavery in Texas on June 19, 1865—a date two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation. Though Missouri announced emancipation on January 11, 1865, Missouri, Kansas, and 39 other states recognize Juneteenth as the official day of remembrance. The history of freedom and equal rights after emancipation is a long and complex one; indeed, that history is still being written. Juneteenth recognizes this, while celebrating the enduring and ongoing contributions of African Americans.

Celebrate Juneteenth at these Missouri events:

Western Missouri

• Juneteenth Kansas City hosts a series of events in the month of June. On June 1, Juneteenth KC presents the annual Juneteenth parade. On June 7, a special Juneteenth First Fridays will take place throughout Kansas City. The annual Juneteenth festival will be June 15. The parade and festival will take place within the 18th & Vine Historic District. For more information about these events, please visit online.

• The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art invites you to its Third Annual Juneteenth Celebration. On June 8 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., this free festival includes a variety of live music, storytelling, poetry, films, and dance performances, as well as several artist demonstrations. For event details, please visit the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art website.

Central Missouri

• The City of Jefferson City hosts the Juneteenth Heritage Festival. The Juneteenth Heritage Festival is the main event of the annual Juneteenth celebration and features exhibitors, vendors, games, food, music, and the Grande Stage Event. This special event takes place June 15 beginning at 11 a.m. at Ellis Porter Riverside Park located at 320 Ellis Porter Dr. For more information or to register as an exhibitor or vendor, please visit online.

• On June 16 at the George Washington Carver National Monument located at 5646 Carver Road in Diamond, Missouri, join a park ranger at 1 p.m. for the Juneteenth Celebration. Events include a time of reflection on freedom in the park and an informative program on one of America’s most historic celebrations of the ending of slavery. Please visit online for more information regarding this special event.

Eastern Missouri

• Join Trailnet, the Missouri History Museum, 4theVille, Northside Community Housing, Inc., the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, and the University of Missouri Extension for a leisurely, social bike ride celebrating Juneteenth. This ride features important city landmarks with a speaker at each, highlighting the different aspects of the abolition of slavery and the significance of Juneteenth. Emmy Award-winning speaker, author, storyteller, and teaching artist Bobby Norfolk will join us at the final stop to wrap up the series of speakers. On June 15, the thirteen mile Juneteenth Community Ride begins at the Soldiers Memorial Military Museum in St. Louis with registration starting at 9 a.m. and departing promptly at 10 a.m. The National Coalition of 100 Black Women will host a reststop to keep you cool and hydrated during this ride.