Pride month in Connecticut: Protests and prom, music and marches, drag shows, art and celebrations to affirm all LGBTQ people

Every year, more cities and towns in Connecticut host events to recognize their LGBTQ communities. The busiest month is June, Pride month. Every day there is something to do, virtually or in person. There is a film festival, marches, flag raisings, exhibits, stage shows, social hours, a baseball game, dances, bingo, hikes, a music festival, trivia nights, open mics, networking socials, speed dating and a prom.

Some of the events are ongoing; they happen during other months, too. Some, such as the art exhibits, are up all month. Other events are one-time only.

Here is a list of Pride events in Connecticut. Only June events are listed and the list is not all-inclusive.

Through June 20: “Butterflies & Transformation,” art by Jaii Marc Renee, is at the art apace at Health Care Advocates International, 2595 Main St. in Stratford. newhavenpridecenter.org/exhibitions/

Through July 25: “As the palm bent, the boy is inclined,” an exhibit by Kevin Quiles Bonilla, is at Real Art Ways, 56 Arbor St. in Hartford. The artwork “is informed by Bonilla’s experience as a queer disabled Puerto Rican living in the United States,” the gallery states. realartways.org/arts/visual-arts.

Through Sept. 6: “Clarity Haynes, Collective Transmission” is up at The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, 258 Main St. in Ridgefield. The exhibit includes Haynes’ “Altars,” which Haynes describes as “queer feminist spaces liberated from patriarchy.” thealdrich.org.

June 1: The Pride flag will be raised at Stratford Town Hall, 2725 Main St., on June 1 at 9 a.m. facebook.com/stratfordct.

June 1: The Pride flag will be raised at Groton Town Hall, 45 Fort Hill Road, and the City Municipal Building, 295 Meridian St., on June 1 at noon. stayhappening.com.

June 1, 8, 15, 22, 29: Every Tuesday from 8 to 11 p.m. is Boys Night at Tisane Euro Asian Café, 537 Farmington Ave. in Hartford. $10 cover. Music by DJ Romulus III. facebook.com/mytisane.

June 1 to 22: Southington Community Cultural Arts Center will hold a 2021 Pride Exhibit at 93 Main St. An opening reception will be June 12 from 1 to 3 p.m. southingtonarts.org.

June 1 to 27: West Hartford Pride has a month of live and virtual events in June. A Pride flag raising on Unity Green is June 1 at 8:30 a.m. A virtual LGBT health program is June 8 at 5 p.m. Pride Night at GastroPark, 637 New Park Ave., is June 11 from 4 to 9 p.m. Pride Hike at MDC Reservoir is June 12 at 11 a.m. A kids’ art show is June 20 to 30 at Noah Webster Library. “Fighting Stigma Through Personal Action” is June 22 at 5 p.m. “Tell Me Another: LGBTQ+ Experience” is June 23 at 7 p.m. at Universalist Church, 433 Fern St. A mini virtual film festival, “QueerFlix,” runs June 25, 26 and 27. A Pride Festival will be in Blue Back Square on June 26. Times, locations and updates: facebook.com/PrideWeHa/.

June 1 to 29: Third annual Middletown Pride will take place all month. Virtual and live events include a City Hall flag raising and MHS GSA virtual video (June 1); drag queen story hour (June 3); Cinder & Salt street cleanup, followed by virtual Middletown Pride Parade and Middletown Pride Sunset Showcase (June 5); Middletown Pride Afternoon Showcase (June 6); a talk “Here From the Beginning: LGBTQ History in Central Connecticut Since 1901” (June 8); an educational talk, “Learn Your LGBTQ’s and your I’s, A’s & 2′s” (June 10); teen education programming and a movie screening (June 17 and 24); “Trans 101” (June 22); and adult education programming (June 29). Times and locations: middletownpride.org.

Starting June 1: The documentary “Julia Scotti: Funny That Way,” about the transgender standup comic, is available for streaming on iTunes, Amazon Prime, Google Play, Xbox, Vudu and DirecTV. On June 19, Julia Scotti will perform her show, “Hello, Boys, I’m Back!” at The Palace Danbury at 8 p.m. thepalacedanbury.com.

June 2: “Reigning Queens: Pride Paint Night” from 7 to 10 p.m. at Chez Est, 458 Wethersfield Ave. in Hartford. The evening, inspired by Andy Warhol’s “Reigning Queens,” challenges participants to paint a picture in honor of drag queens. $25 includes supplies. stayhappening.com.

June 2, 9, 16 and 23: LGBTQ-themed movies are shown Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. at Bowtie Cinema, 118 Summer St. In Stamford. “Pariah” is June 2, “Adam” is June 9, “A Fantastic Woman” is June 16 and “Moonlight” is June 23. Free. ctpridecenter.org/pride-film-series.

June 2, 5: Westport Pride will host “LGBTQ+ History; Past, Present and Future,” a virtual panel discussion with Brian McGunagle, Dan Woog, Edison Rivas, Rozanne Gates, Kayla Ianetta and the Staples High School GSA, on June 2 from 7 to 8 p.m. at Westport Library, 20 Jesup Road. A Pride rally will be held on Jesup Green on June 5 from 10 a.m. to noon. westportpride.com.

June 2 to July 6: “MestrePiece: The Art of Ricky Mestre” is on exhibit at Chez Est, 458 Wethersfield Ave. in Hartford. newhavenpridecenter.org/exhibitions/.

June 3: LGBTQIA+ Night at Plan B Burger Bar, 20 Spring St. in Southington, is presented by Southington Pride starting at 7 p.m. facebook.com/SouthingtonPRIDE.

June 3, 10, 17, 24: LGBTQ Mixers are held on Thursdays from 3 to 11 p.m. at Black Rock Social House, 2895 Fairfield Ave. in Bridgeport. Food and drink specials. blackrocksocialhouse.com.

June 4: Rainbow Fest: A Youth Pride Celebration of Community and Color, at 6 p.m. at YWCA, 19 Franklin Square in New Britain. The event will offer information, resources and activities. stayhappening.com.

June 4: Dunkin’ Donuts Park, 1214 Main St. in Hartford, has Pride Night at the 7:05 p.m. game between Hartford Yard Goats and Bowie Baysox. Wristbands will be distributed. milb.com/Hartford.

June 4: “Lipstick, Lashes & Lies: A Variety Drag Show” is a regular feature at Comix Comedy Club at Mohegan Sun, 1 Mohegan Sun Blvd in Uncasville, on June 4, 11, 18 and 25 at 10 p.m.; and June 6, 13, 20 and 27 at 6 p.m. Ages 21 and older. $15 to $35. mohegansun.com.

June 4: Pride Month Kickoff “Frisky Friday” will be at Rize Nightclub, 160 Temple St. in New Haven, with DJ Ephraim Adamz. Three floors, two DJs and $10 admission until 10:30 p.m. Well drinks and beers are $3 and punch buckets are $5 until 11 p.m. facebook.com/rizenightclubnewhaven.

June 4: Triangle Community Center, 650 West Ave. in Norwalk, will host a Fairfield County Pride Silent Disco for ages 21 and older from 7 to 9 p.m. DJ Ephraim will provide tunes. All dancers will wear headphones to listen to the music they choose. $15. ctpridecenter.org/silent_disco.

June 4: “A Night on Broadway,” a drag performance with Barbra Joan Streetsand and Summer Orlando, is June 4 from 7 to 9 p.m. at Priam Vineyards, 11 Shailor Hill Road in Colchester. Admission is $35 and includes one glass of wine. priam-vineyards.com.

June 4, 11, 18, 25: LGBT Pride Night, for ages 21 and older, is every Friday at Social House, 29 Main St. in Torrington. Entry and food are free from 6:30 to 7 p.m. and rum punch and Long Island ice teas are $3 until 8 p.m. Music by DJ Ephraim. facebook.com/socialhousect.

June 4 and 5: “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” will be shown June 4 and 5 at 9 p.m. at Mansfield Drive-In, with shadowcasting by RKO Army’s Pride Tour. mansfielddrivein.com.

June 4, 5, 6: Foxwoods Drive-In, a summer-long film series at Foxwoods Resort Casino, 350 Trolley Line Boulevard in Mashantucket, will celebrate Pride Month with four LGBT-themed films. June 4 is “Bohemian Rhapsody” at 8:45 p.m. June 5 is a double feature, “Rent” and “The Birdcage,” starting at 8:30 p.m. June 6 is “Love, Simon,” starting at 8:45 p.m. Admission is $35 per car, $55 per car for the double feature. foxwoods.com.

June 4 to 13: The 34th annual Connecticut LGBTQ Film Festival will be presented virtually at outfilmct.org and live at Cinestudio, 300 Summit St. at Trinity College in Hartford. Titles include “Tove,” a biopic about author Tove Jansson (June 5 at 7:30 p.m.); “No Ordinary Man,” a doc about musician Billy Tipton (June 9 at 7:30 p.m.); “Sublet,” a drama about two men in Tel Aviv (June 10 at 7:30 p.m.); “Summer of ’85,” a drama about two men in love (June 11 at 7:30 p.m.; “Kiss Me Kosher,” a comedy about a lesbian wedding (June 12 at 7:30 p.m.); “A Good Man,” a drama about a transman who bears a child (June 13 at 2:30 p.m.); and gay, lesbian, transgender and nonbinary shorts. $12, $10 students and seniors. A five-film pass is $50, $80 for households. An all-access FestiPass is $100, $150 for households. outfilmct.org.

June 5: “LGBT: Let’s Go Birding Together! A Pride Month Birding Celebration,” a bird-watching walk for all families, will be from 10 a.m. to noon at Greenwich Audubon Center, 613 Riversville Road. Free. ct.audubon.org/events/lets-go-birding-together-pride-month-birding-celebration.

June 5: Monroe Pride will raise the Pride flag at town hall, 7 Fan Hill Road at 10 a.m. The rain date is June 6. facebook.com/KapoorforMonroe/events

June 5: Southington Pride will have a flag raising at town hall at 9 a.m. At 11:20 a.m., “Ask the Doctor” will be at First Congregational Church of Southington, 37 Main St. Dr. Rebecca Eleck Bruce will discuss LGBTQ youth health. Free. eventbrite.com. At noon, a Pride Family Craft Day will be held at Southington Community Cultural Arts Center, 93 Main St. facebook.com/SouthingtonPRIDE.

June 5: Pride in the Vines, with music, food and tethered hot air-balloon rides, will be from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Priam Vineyards, 11 Shailor Hill Road in Colchester. Free. priamvineyards.com.

June 5: Chez Est, 458 Wethersfield Ave. in Hartford, presents “F**k Up the Summer,” a drag show starting Natalia Fierce, May Lay, Kenya Mone Heart and Xiomarie Labeija, with shows at 11 p.m. and midnight. facebook.com/TheChezEstLLC.

June 6: An LGBTQ Social Hour will be from 3 to 6 p.m. by Triangle Community Center at Black Rock Social House, 2895 Fairfield Ave. in Bridgeport. Food and drink specials. blackrocksocialhouse.com.

June 6 to 12: New Britain Pride will be June 6 to 12. The Pride flag will be raised in Central Park in New Britain on June 7 at 9:30 p.m. Updates on events, visit facebook.com/NewBritainPride.

June 7 to 30: “Feeling: The Art of Alecia Massaro” is in the Great Room Gallery at New Haven Pride Center, 84 Orange St. newhavenpridecenter.org/exhibitions.

June 8, 22: Black Rock Social House, 2895 Fairfield Ave. in Bridgeport, holds LGBTQ speed dating at 6:30 p.m. and singles mixers at 9 p.m. on June 8 for men and on June 22 for women. Admission is $25 and there is a two-drink minimum. facebook.com/maxexllc.

June 9: Pride Night at the Bristol Blues will start at 6:30 p.m. at Muzzy Field, adjacent to Rockwell Park, during the summer collegiate baseball game against the Martha’s Vineyard Sharks. Admission is $6. facebook.com/BristolBluesBaseball.

June 12: Bears Pride Hike starting at 11 a.m. at Doctor Francis Giuffrida Park, 800 Westfield Road in Meriden. Presented by The Northeast Ursamen. facebook.com/NEUrsamen.

June 12: Queer Prom 2021, presented by Hartford Gay and Lesbian Health Collective, from 6 to 9 p.m. virtually, with a live stream of music on Twitch by DJ OmegaTelik. An in-person photo op, with masking and social distancing required, will be at MCC Hartford, 155 Wyllys St. Free. hglhc.org.

June 12: “Camp Pride!: Summer of Love,” a drag show with Sienna Rose, Angelina D’Amour, Jasmine Rice Labeija, Pissi Myles and DJs OMG Yaaas Kween and 2Face, from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. at Troupe 429, 3 Wall St. in Norwalk. Tea dance 4 to 9 p.m., night party 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. Food truck Rickshaw Cantina will be there. Photo booth, prizes, disco ball. $40. givebutter.com.

June 12: Imperial Sovereign Court of All Connecticut’s “Electrifying Revue: Movie Soundtracks” is at Chez Est, 458 Wethersfield Ave. in Hartford, on June 12 at 11 p.m. and midnight. Proceeds benefit American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and New Haven Pride Center. facebook.com/ctimperialcourt.

June 13: The New Haven Pride Center’s second annual Day of Action, an all-day series of virtual workshops and keynotes on issues of LGBTQ+ racial equity co-presented by Black Lives Matter New Haven and The International Festival of Arts & Ideas, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Workshops include: Combating Anti-Asian Sentiment in the Queer Community (10:30 a.m.); The Complexity of Black Sexuality and Identity (noon); De-Stigmatizing the Body in the Racial Justice Movement (1:30 p.m.); Creating Racially-Diverse & -Competent Spaces (1:30 p.m.); Holistic Anti-Racism for White Folks (3 p.m.) and Self-Care and Healing for Racial Justice Changemakers (3 p.m.) The day closes with a keynote address by Blair Imani and spoken-word performances. newhavenpridecenter.org/days-of-action/day-of-action-racial-justice.

June 13: Avon Pride Family Picnic for LGBTQIA+ Residents & Allies from noon to 2 p.m. at Avon Congregational Church, 6 West Main St. Guest speakers and music. facebook.com/eleni.degraw/events

June 16: “Virtual Art-Making for Kids: PRIDE Portraits, Inspired by Clarity Haynes,” a family activity of making personal identity portraits, inspired by the queer feminist artist, from 4 to 5 p.m. Suggested materials will be emailed in advance. Free. thealdrich.org/events.

June 19: “LGBT: Let’s Go Birding Together! A Pride Month Birding Celebration,” a bird walk for families, from 9 to 10:30 a.m. at Bent of the River Audubon Center, 185 East Flat Hill Road in Southbury. Free. ct.audubon.org/events/lets-go-birding-together-pride-month-birding-celebration.

June 19: Drag Bingo Brunch from noon to 2 p.m. at Black Rock Social House, 2895 Fairfield Ave. in Bridgeport. Proceeds go to Triangle Community Center. blackrocksocialhouse.com.

June 19: The 2nd annual Connecticut Black Gay Pride event from 1 to 4 p.m. in Goffe Street Park in New Haven. apnh.org.

June 19: “Ride with Pride,” a drag event by Mia E Z’Lay, Kalysta Kaykes and Sparkle Diamond, is at Chez Est, 458 Wethersfield Ave. in Hartford, from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. facebook.com/TheChezEstLLC.

June 20: Pride Women’s Music Festival, a day of lesbian singer-songwriters, from noon to 7 p.m. in Tarrywile Park, 70 Southern Blvd. in Danbury. Singers include Victoria Ferrara, Dianne Davidson, Tret Fure, Zoe Lewis, Crys Matthews / Heather Mae. $25. ctpridecenter.org/pride-womens-music-festival.

June 20: Loosey LaDuca presents Brunch in Heels, Happy Pride Month, from noon to 3 p.m. at Chez Est, 458 Wethersfield Ave. in Hartford. Showtime is at 2 p.m. Other entertainers are Mia E Z’Lay, Ruby Butera and Tiki Malone. Admission is $10 and does not include food. chezest.com.

June 23: Trivia with Bears will be June 23 and 30 from 8 to 11 p.m. at Chez Est, 458 Wethersfield Ave. in Hartford. facebook.com/NEUrsamen.

June 24: Chambers of Commerce Networking Social from 6 to 8 p.m. at Triangle Community Center, 650 West Ave. in Norwalk. Fairfield County’s chambers of commerce will discuss how businesses benefit from diversity and inclusion. ctpridecenter.org/fairfield_county_pride_2021

June 25: Triangle Community Center, 650 West Ave. in Norwalk, will host a Fairfield County Pride Silent Disco for ages 13 to 17 from 6 to 8 p.m. DJ Ephraim will provide tunes. All dancers will wear headphones to listen to the music they choose. Free. ctpridecenter.org/silent_disco.

June 25: Pride Speak Out, an LGBTQ+ centered protest against sexual violence, at 7 p.m. at YWCA, 19 Franklin Square in New Britain. stayhappening.com.

June 26: Family Field Day from noon to 3 p.m. at Boys & Girls Club of Greenwich, 744 Lake Ave. LGBTQ families in Fairfield County are welcome. ctpridecenter.org/fairfield_county_pride_2021.

June 26: Ridgefield Pride in the Park from noon to 3 p.m. at Ballard Park, 48 Main St. ridgefieldctpride.com.

June 27, 28, 30: The 1996 comedy “The Birdcage” with Robin Williams and Nathan Lane will be shown June 27 at 3 and 7 p.m. and June 28 and 30 at 7 p.m. at Cinemark Buckland Hills in Manchester and Regal Brass Mill in Waterbury. Also June 30 only at Ridgefield Playhouse. fathomevents.com/events.

June 28: “Everyone Deserves Pride,” a celebration of the community’s queer and trans people of color, will be at 6 p.m. at New London City Hall, 181 State St. stayhappening.com.

June 30: A youth and young adult open mic hosted by Leah Juliett from 4 to 6 p.m. An adult open mic, hosted by Collective58, will follow from 7 to 9 p.m., both at Wall Street Theater, 71 Wall St. in Norwalk. Admission is free in the afternoon, $10 in evening. ctpridecenter.org/tcc_pride_open_mic.

Susan Dunne can be reached at sdunne@courant.com