This year, Pride Month coincides with the 50th anniversary of the first Gay Liberation Day commemorating the Stonewall Riots — protests, led by trans women of color, that fought for human rights and against inequality. “We remember that the five days of protests were a result of incessant discrimination and police brutality,” says NYC Pride.
“Our mission is to work toward a future where all people have equal rights under the law,” Claudia Garib, NYC Pride’s communications coordinator, tells us. “We do this by producing LGBTQIA+ events that inspire, educate, commemorate, and celebrate our diverse community.” While the NYC Pride 2020 march is canceled due to COVID-19 (the Queer Liberation March is still on), NYC Pride is hard at work in tandem with community activists coordinating a a virtual Rally to show up and show out for family, friends, loved ones, and strangers.
Inspired by the diverse LGBTQIA+ community, Vimeo has partnered with NYC Pride to make 10 new Pride-themed video templates to help you express yourself and show your support on social and beyond. We reached out to Claudia to hear more about how her team is working to take NYC Pride virtual, and find out how they’re using video to share information and build community online.
Tell us about your organization.
NYC Pride is a nonprofit organization that plans and produces New York City’s official LGBTQIA+ Pride events each year to commemorate the Stonewall Riots of 1969 — the beginning of the modern gay rights movement.
What are your plans for Pride this year?
In 2020, NYC Pride is going virtual and we’re so excited to continue with some of our most iconic events in a virtual format. Pride isn’t only a celebration, but a time for activism, and we pride ourselves in being a platform for all audiences. Our Rally event will be streaming Friday, June 26 on all of our NYC Pride social platforms.
What have you learned while preparing for these virtual events?
From social watch parties to virtual events to reach our global audience, we’ve realized that sometimes meeting virtually is the best way to be as inclusive as possible. Not everyone can make it to the piers in Manhattan! So, while we’ve rigorously planned our virtual events in June, we’ve also begun planning what other virtual initiatives we can continue moving forward with.
How important is video for you in spreading your message?
When we talk about wanting any and all people to feel welcome at our events, we do mean everyone. Whether it’s across the country or across the world, for those seeking to be a part of a community who can’t necessarily make it to an in-person event, we want to try our best to make everyone feel welcome, valued, and seen.
What advice can you share for those who are also adapting to virtual experiences?
I would say to really look at your audience, listen to them, and then look at what you can provide. While you may not be able to satisfy everyone, take that extra moment to listen. You may just learn something that you hadn’t thought about before. We know that that’s what we always intend to do for our community.
