5 Meaningful Ways to Show Your Pride

Pride should be more than rainbow capitalism or Instagrammable celebrations. In a year when our rights and lives are under threat, showing up with intention matters more than ever. Here are five ways to honor Pride that go deeper—acts rooted in care, resistance, and real community.

If you’re feeling uneasy about the usual ways we celebrate Pride—especially in a year when anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and legislation are surging—you’re not alone. Pride was born as a protest, and it’s okay to honor it in ways that feel more grounded, urgent, or personal.

Below are five meaningful ways I plan to show Pride this season that go beyond the surface. Continuing my pause on gay travel coverage around the topic of hotel deals and superficial commercial support, I’m reminded of the fact this year that pride started as a protest—and I plan to show up in a more meaningful way. Just like I’ve felt that the rainbow bagels are superficial and silly, there are more important things we can be doing to show support for the LGBTQ community.

Spend your time and money elsewhere, if you can.

5 Meaningful Ways to Show your Gay Pride This Year

1. Support Queer Activists and Grassroots Organizers

From trans-led mutual aid groups to local legal defense funds, there are countless organizers doing vital work year-round. Donate if you can, volunteer your time, or amplify their voices on your platforms. Pride can be a time to redistribute attention—and resources—to those on the frontlines.

2. Hold Space for Queer Rest and Mental Health

Pride doesn’t always have to be loud. For many in the LGBTQ+ community, especially those who are chronically underrepresented, disabled, or navigating trauma, rest is resistance. Carving out space for care, boundaries, and healing is a radical act of Pride in a culture that demands constant visibility and productivity.

3. Learn Your Local Political Landscape—and Speak Up

Familiarize yourself with the anti-LGBTQ+ legislation being introduced or passed in your state or city. Call your elected officials. Attend a school board meeting. Pride isn’t just about waving a flag—it’s about defending the right to be who we are, wherever we live.

I’ve spent so much of this year writing and calling my elected officials. I’m furious about the state of the world and terrified of the aggressive acts our government is taking against human rights, including LGBTQ rights.

4. Support Queer Art, History, and Storytelling

Spend time with gay books, music, film, magazines, and art that deepen your understanding of the community’s past and present. Share those works with others. Pride is also about cultural preservation and honoring the voices that shaped our collective identity—especially those who were marginalized in their own time.

5. Celebrate Your Chosen Family

At its core, Pride is about belonging. Host a dinner. Write a thank-you note. Show up for your people in a way that’s intentional and affirming. Building and nurturing queer kinship—outside of commercial spaces—is a deeply political and beautiful way to celebrate Pride.

Skip the superficial rainbow capitalism and show your pride with real meaning this year.