You can learn a lot about a community by looking at its June calendar.
This month alone, Delmarva will be packed with Pride celebrations, drag shows, fundraisers, festivals, community events and enough rainbow-colored decorations to make a craft store nervous.
And I love every second of it.
Pride Month has always felt a little magical to me. Not because it’s perfect, but because for 30 days you get to watch people come together in a way they don’t always do the rest of the year. Friends reconnect. New friendships form. Communities show up for one another. And somewhere, a drag queen is sweating through three layers of tights pretending she’s having a great time.
It’s tradition.
This year, one of the things I’m most excited about is seeing just how many Pride events are happening across Delmarva.
From Rehoboth Beach to Salisbury and everywhere in between, the calendar is packed with celebrations, fundraisers, drag shows, community gatherings and opportunities to connect with people who simply want to show up and support one another.
I’ll be making appearances at several events throughout the month, including Unity Day: Thrive in Pride on June 27 in downtown Salisbury, where I somehow ended up hosting. Which feels like a wildly optimistic choice.
What really has me excited, though, is the entertainment lineup.
Joining me will be JC Pizzazz, Aura Iris, Dakota Childs and Tamia Mykles, which already sounds like the beginning of a very chaotic road trip.
And then there’s RuPaul’s Drag Race star Ariel Versace.
The fact that a Drag Race queen is spending Pride Month with our community is incredible. The fact that I somehow get to share a stage with her is something I still haven’t fully processed.
If you hear screaming on June 27, mind your business.
The thing I love most about events like this is that they’re for everyone. Whether you’re a member of the LGBTQ+ community, an ally, a parent, a friend or someone who simply enjoys a good food truck and a drag show, there’s a place for you.
And that’s what Pride has always been about.
Community.
Not the kind you find in a Facebook comment section. Actual community. The kind where people show up for one another.
The kind where people celebrate one another.
The kind where people make room at the table for somebody new.
So if you’re looking for me this month, I’ll probably be running between drag shows, Pride events, newspaper deadlines and whatever other nonsense I’ve accidentally agreed to.
But more than anything, I’m looking forward to seeing our community come together, celebrate loudly and remind people that there’s always room for one more person at the party.
And honestly, I can’t think of a better way to spend Pride Month.
Happy Pride, Delmarva.
