5 fun ways to celebrate Pride at home

1. Deck out your space in all the colors of the rainbow.

Christmas and Halloween get home decorations, why shouldn't Pride? Rainbow is the first choice that comes to mind, but you can add or prioritize whatever Pride flag colors resonate with you. And whether that means your home ends up looking like two gender reveal parties went to war, or like you tacked a truckload of Taylor Swift Eras Tour-style bodysuits to the wall, then you're doing things right.

2. Host a Pride party over Zoom!

Humanity picked up all sorts of skills over the course of the pandemic. Baking bread, knitting, whatever it is that players do in Animal Crossing... and doing everything over Zoom. Zoom parties may not be quite the rage they were when they were essentially our only safe option for interacting with a wide array of friends and family, but there's no reason they can't make a comeback when we need them. Chat with friends, blast some gay pop music, or even queue up a classic queer film or two for a virtual movie night.

You may also be able to find existing Zoom events for Pride if you don't want to do the hosting yourself, or if you just want to connect to a broader community. After all, the best part about this is that it allows you to celebrate Pride with people all over the world.

3. Dive into LGBTQ+ history.

There is so, so much about LGBTQ+ history that gets cut out of school textbooks and swept under the rug. But it's not only important to understand how society has evolved over the years and honor our queer icons from decades past, it's actually really incredible to revisit the history we thought we knew without dulling the more vibrant truths. So hit up your local library for some reading materials, rent a documentary or two, or even just let yourself slide down a Wikipedia rabbit hole. You won't regret it!

4. Support queer artists and businesses.

We're all a little tired of corporate Pride right? Companies waving the rainbow flag for a few weeks out of the year and shoving them back into the darkest, dankest corner at the first sign of dissent? They serve a purpose, but if you've got the dollars to drop on merch to show your Pride (or allyship), consider scoping out clothes, decor, accessories, posters, or whatever your little heart desires that's made by independent queer artists and/or sold by queer-owned businesses.

5. Get creative!

Okay, so your home is decorated for Pride. Why stop there? If you have any creative hobbies, just infuse them with a little extra spirit of Sappho this month. Frost some rainbow cookies, knit a bisexual flag-themed scarf, create a miniature scale replica of your favorite set from Golden Girls — whatever feels the most Pride-themed to you. For as much as the first Pride was a riot, it was part of a fight that began, and continues, so that we can all express our truths freely and openly. So however you choose to celebrate, make sure to do it in a way that honors that, and brings you joy.