Even though this is something we should be working on during all months of the year, Pride Month in June can often be seen as “part political activism, part celebration” of all the important milestones and triumphs the LGBTIQA+ community has achieved over the years. With the current state of the world, Pride Month and all that it represents to so many people across the world deserves to be fully celebrated.
Our queer teenagers deserve all the love and care in the world, but when it's Pride Month, it's time to show them a good time that's all about allowing them to feel included. If you have a teen who identifies as LGBTIQA+ — or even if they don’t and you want to show them what true allyship looks like — there are all sorts of family-friendly activities you can attend with your teen and loved ones.
The thing to remember about Pride, and fully enjoying everything this beautiful month has to offer, is that it’s important to get involved and show your support, and that involvement and sense of pride can start out at home with our kids and teenagers.
So, keep on reading to check out some fun family-friendly ways to celebrate Pride Month with your teen.
Check out your city and local community center's website and start planning to attend parades, marches, and other cool family-friendly events with your teen and loved ones.
One of the many cool things about Pride Month, especially over the past 10 years or so, is that there are now so many activities and functions put on by cities and municipalities that are geared toward families, kids of all ages, and teenagers. If you have a teen who is looking to dip their toe in the Pride pool, the first place you should go is your city’s social media pages and website to check out the events they have to offer that might appeal to your teen.
One of the main events that loads of cities and towns put on for Pride is a parade or march that often leads to a Pride festival in a local park where there’s food and other celebratory activities for individuals of all ages going on. If your teen is up for it, you can all dress up in your best rainbow-themed gear and head to the parade to show your support and make some noise. There might also be some fun events, like dances and book events, at your local community center and library that are related to Pride Month that you can check out with your teen.
Have an LGBTQIA+-themed movie night at home with the family with all of the best snacks.
Is there anything better than sitting down with your family for a movie night? During the month of June, you could really take things up a notch for your teen if you decided to make your movie night Pride-themed and watch some movies and shows that showcase LGBTIQA+ characters and stories.
For those who are looking to fully commit and show their teen that they know how to celebrate Pride, first, you must plan your snacks for movie night. This can include all sorts of rainbow-themed candy from Rainbow Airheads to Rainbow Gummy Cluster Nerds. And for those who need something salty, why not try your hand at making some Rainbow Kettle Corn?
There are so many great LGBTIQA+ movies that are family-friendly and still geared toward teens, including Love, Simon and Alex Strangelove. If your teen is more in the mood for some binging, Heartstopper is a really sweet and funny series that you can easily find on a popular streaming service. Don’t forget to sit back and discuss the movies or TV shows you watch on your Pride-themed movie night with your teen because it can be a great way to open up the lines of communication and talk about things that may be on their mind.
Decorate your backyard with rainbow flags galore, get the grill going, and help your teen host their own Pride party for their friends and classmates.
One of the cool things about Pride Month taking place in June is that you can work in all sorts of fun outdoor activities with friends and loved ones that your teen can take part in and even host, including a barbecue. Barbecues are such a low-effort and great way to entertain, especially a group of teens, because you can keep everyone outdoors with great food, games, and entertainment.
The first thing that you can help your teen do is put together a small guest list that includes anyone they feel would get excited about coming to a Pride barbecue — this can include their group of besties to classmates or even coworkers they’ve met at their part-time job. Then it’s time to plan your menu with your teen. A few crowd-pleaser salads usually do the job, along with hamburgers and hot dogs, and a few meat alternative options for the vegetarians and vegans.
You can help your teen fully outfit the deck or patio before the barbecue with little pride flags and decorate cupcakes in fun rainbow colors. Before everyone arrives, you can set out some fun lawn games and put together a lively playlist chock-full of LGBTIQA+ music artists. As a parent, when your teen’s guests start to arrive, be sure to be as inclusive and welcoming as possible because this day is simply about people feeling free to be themselves and celebrating LGBTIQA+ pride.
Reach out to your local bowling alley, arcade, or laser tag place to see if they’re hosting any special Pride-related events and if not, plan your own outing.
When you’re thinking about ways to celebrate Pride Month with your teen, it can be helpful to think about some of the activities and the places that they regularly venture to with friends because you can always check in and see what they might have lined up for the month of June.
The list of places to check out can include anywhere from your local bowling alley, arcade, recreational centers, or laser tag facilities. They might have their own special events happening and when you check out their upcoming calendars and notice a Pride event, this is when you ask your teen if they’d like to partake in a fun evening out with the family or their friend group.
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If there’s nothing on the agenda, you could always ask the bowling alley or arcade how they’d feel about everyone in your group dressing up in their best rainbow attire and coming in for a game or two one evening. Keeping inclusivity in mind, they might try to cater to your specific event and include a few snacks and prizes.
As a family, pick two to three LGBTQIA+-themed teen-friendly books to read throughout the month and come together for a pizza party to discuss.
Besides all the parties and special events happening throughout the month of June, there’s also an opportunity to get reading with your teen and open yourself to some of the incredible LGBTIQA+ storytellers and novels that are available to them.
As a family, you can help your teen find two to three novels that they feel everyone would enjoy reading for Pride Month. There’s some great stuff out there, including titles like Some Girls Do written by Jennifer Dugan, The Gravity Of Us by Phil Stamper, which is about two teen boys who fall in love during an inopportune time. Plus, I Wish You All The Best by Mason Deaver is a heartfelt story about a nonbinary teen trying to find their way during their senior year of high school.
Once everyone has read all of the books, then it’s time for a fun little wrap-up book club. This can include ordering your teen’s favorite takeout meal and planning some discussion points that helps fully explore some of the themes and storylines in the LGBTIQA+ books that were read.
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