For Pride Month this year, we’re thinking about ways to incorporate safety and harm reduction in all the ways we celebrate. We know that pride can feel even more important now, with so many legal and cultural challenges to the safety, and existence, of trans and queer folks. Showing up and being with our communities can be a powerful show of solidarity and resistance.
At the same time, many of us might be feeling more concerned than usual about threats to our safety–especially at big public gatherings, like pride festivals or parades. Celebrating at home, with a small group of friends, or not at all, might feel the best for some of us!
Whether you plan on going out or staying home, being prepared with a safety plan can be helpful for any situation you might encounter. That’s why we’ve put together these five tipsheets to make your pride month safer:
Navigating Safety at Pride in 2025: Our cultural and political climate around trans rights is changing rapidly, and a lot of folks have safety concerns when attending pride events. Whether these concerns are about the potential of mass violence, interpersonal violence, or interactions with police and the legal system, this tipsheet includes strategies for preparing yourself and your community.
Bystander Intervention: Taking Action to Prevent Violence: We don’t always know how to respond when we see someone else experiencing harm or violence. This tipsheet covers some tactics we can all use to be active bystanders if/when this happens. This doesn’t have to be loud or direct. There are many ways we can intervene while being mindful of our own boundaries and safety.
Getting There Safely: Rideshare Tips: If you’re planning on taking an Uber or Lyft to pride events (or in general), check out this tipsheet to make sure you get to your destination safely. Know what resources and options are available during a ride, and use your tools and support networks to fill in the gaps.
Masking Still Matters: COVID-19 Safety: As much as we all want to be done with COVID-19, it’s still here. We can reduce transmission and the likelihood of getting long COVID by masking, testing, and staying home when we’re sick. This tipsheet provides specific advice for effective precautions that reduce the spread of COVID-19, especially at big events.
Safer Drinking Tips: Alcohol is present at a lot of pride events. Whether you decide to drink or not, having some safety strategies in your toolkit for reducing risks is always useful (for yourself, your friends, or others).
These tipsheets are meant to be quick reference guides for a multitude of situations. Feel free to download, print, or share as needed!