Flashes of colours and dancing in the streets

To celebrate diversity and shine this summer, join in the love and dance with the best partiers out there. Like a diamond, the Gay Pride 2009 has many facets which make these events so beautiful. Attend, join and go all Out!

The beginning…

40 years ago, on June 28th, 1969, a riot erupted following a police raid on the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in Greenwich Village of New York City. The next year, a march from Greenwich Village to Central Park was organized to commemorate the event and on the same weekend gay activist groups on the West Coast of the United States held two marches in Los Angeles and San Francisco. A day earlier, on Saturday, 27 June 1970, Chicago Gay Liberation organized a march from Washington Square Park to the Water Tower with lots of participants marching on to the Civic Center Plaza.

The first marches were fun, but also aimed to push activism in gay rights. As the marches spread to more cities, they have become an occasion to celebrate diversity in all its forms where everyone is welcome to express their love and have a good time! “Gay Pride” is pride in the beautiful rainbow of human nature.

The best and wildest…

NYC (June 20th-28th)

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall riot who spurred the Gay Rights Movement. As such, the organizers have promised the biggest party yet. Stay the whole week from the 20th to the 28th to get to all the fun! To know more on the events, click here! Check out our best New York hostels!

San Francisco (June 27th-28th)

One of the most widely attented Gay Pride event in the world, the theme of this year’s Pride is:  “In Order to Form a More Perfect Union…” referring to the recent Proposition 8 that passed in California restricting the validation of marriage as only between a man and a woman. To know more on the events, click here. Check out our best San Francisco hostels!

Chicago (June 1st-30th)

For a whole month, Chicago features dozens of events around Gay Pride, the whole affair culminating with a parade on the last Sunday of the month. See the calendar and info on the events here. Check out our best Chicago hostels!

Toronto (June 16th-28th)

One of the largest cultural festival in North America, the Toronto Pride also has some of the best parties around! This year, the HI-Toronto will even get it’s own float on the streets! More than a million people come take to the streets and dance each year! To know more, click here.  Check out our best Toronto hostels!

Montreal (July 26th-August 2nd/ August 13th-16th)

A festival is organized by Divers/Cite, including free concerts, movies in the park and more parties. Two weeks later, a march goes through “The Village” with lots of shops also participating in the festivities. Get info here. Check out our best Montreal hostels!