Got Pride? Here, your handy guide to showing it off this Raleigh Pride Month.
This June, Raleigh is feting five years of being out and proud—and it promises to be the loudest month yet. From humble beginnings in 2019 to now, Raleigh Pride has ballooned into a must-attend monthlong series of events—and one with incredible community impact, both culturally and financially.
Dubbed the “year of partnerships and collaborations” by the Raleigh Pride team, you can expect this year’s lengthy and diverse lineup to include something for everyone. “I’m just amazed by what we’ve accomplished,” says co-founder Roxanne Lundy. “Folks are counting on Raleigh Pride—and banking on it. I think what’s cool to me watching the evolution is just how integrated these events have become into what Raleigh expects now.”
Having already emerged as a DTR summer fixture, Pride is expanding its reach citywide this year—with broadened offerings to boot. Think more panels, fitness classes, a fashion showcase and much more—plus big names (hey, RuPaul’s Drag Race contestants!).
“Every year we try really hard to come up with a new variety of programs to offer, ones that speak to all different kinds of community members—not only for queer communities, but also our allies who want to come out and support us,” says Raleigh Pride co-organizer David Moore. “So collaboration has really taken Raleigh Pride to the next level.”
Beyond partnerships, it’s also a year of identity for the Raleigh Pride team, notes co-founder Josh Lamm. “As I get older, I see how important it is to keep [Raleigh Pride] current, keep it fresh,” he says. “And I think we’ve done a really good job this year of making sure that happens.”
While Lundy maintains we’re not at the New York City Pride level (“yet!”), this year’s rave roster is a surefire indication we’re well on our way. Not to mention the Raleigh Pride team already has dreams for the years to come, from additional public art-related activations to a closer collab with the LGBT Center of Raleigh, amplified sponsorships and an overarching goal of “unifying the sectors of queerness that exist around the city,” says Lamm.
Right now, though, “it’s a lot to be proud of,” affirms Lundy, who emphasizes her team’s role in making her initial Raleigh Pride dreams a reality. And not just her dreams, but Raleigh’s—as each year Raleigh Pride Month helps to create a loving, welcoming and accepting atmosphere for all.
“I still struggle in my everyday life to feel like I belong in any room at any given time,” says Lamm. “And so what this work means to me—I don’t want anybody to feel that way. Being in a position to provide that level of safeness and security is a very big responsibility—and it’s a very important thing to do.”
Echoes Moore: “When we’re all together in masses, it just creates a better atmosphere and everybody can let their hair down.” And that’s exactly what this team has spent the last year dreaming and building for us all to manifest this June. Happy Pride!
Pride by the Numbers
FirstPride March in Raleigh on June 25, 1988
$40,000: Money raised by 2023’s Run for Love 5K
1970: First-ever Pride marches in NYC, LA & Chicago
1982: Inaugural public demonstration for equal gay rights in Durham
1999: Pride Month became official via a proclamation from President Bill Clinton
2010: LGBT Center of Raleigh opens
2011: LGBT Center intros inaugural Out! Raleigh festival
2019: Premiere Raleigh Pride Month
2020: Out! Raleigh Festival moves to June and renamed Out! Raleigh Pride
Out & Proud
May 31; June 5, 12, 19 & 27 The Rialto x Raleigh Pride Movie Series Oh, the (rocky) horror! But really, it’s anything but. Kick off Raleigh Pride (like, literally at midnight)—and continue the celebration throughout the month—via The Rialto’s series of LGBTQ+ flicks, starting with a shadowcast performance of The Rocky Horror Picture Show feat. the Low Down Cheap Little Punks. Also catch Moonlight; Bottoms; Pink Flamingos; and a drag/rowdy screening of Josie and the Pussycats hosted by Chloe Cassidy, Chante Elise Cassidy and Stormie Daie. Because, baby, “You’re a star!” Ticketed,therialto.com
Photo by Alexandra Williams, apwmedia, courtesy of Raleigh Pride
June 4 DEI Panel With The Diversity Movement Calling all working girlies! This lunch and learn at Junction West covers active allyship and leveling up inclusive workplaces via convos with corporate leaders. Free, raleighpridenc.com
June 6 & 20 Pop Fitness Dance Class Be up in the club—er, outside Poyner YMCA—working on your fitness in a welcoming and inclusive environment. You better werk! Free, raleighpridenc.com
Photo by Brett Villena
June 8 Run for Love 5K + Dance for Love Who doesn’t love an excuse to get down with your bad self?! Chase the rainbow through Dix Park for this annual 5K to benefit Raleigh Pride and the LGBT Center of Raleigh—then stay and get extra loud and proud for a scaled-up afterparty at Trophy Maywood feat. beer (obv), food trucks, a drag show, lip-synching competition, bubbles and boas. Or skip the run altogether and opt for dancing as your cardio. 5K ticketed, dance party free, trophybrewing.com
June 13 Queer Fashion Showcase + Cocktail Event “Hair toss, check my nails.” Show up looking good as hell for this gallery-style fashion showcase at Junction West spotlighting queer designers and creatives. Free, raleighpridenc.com
June 15 Parlor Pride Girls, gays, theys and everyone in between are gonna wanna gather ’round the parlor for this second annual shindig with twice the drag performances (s/o performers Marsha Mellows, Paris Brooks, Alexandra Vittz and Ruby Liqueur!) hosted by Oak City Kitty, music by DJ Jermainia, local food trucks and vendors, and kids activities. Sip, sip, hooray! Ticketed, heightshousenc.com
June 21 Raleigh Pride x Birdsong Open Mic Slam poetry? More like ~slay~ poetry. Come out to Blackbird Books and Coffee to share your love out loud. Free, raleighpridenc.com
June 21 Girl’s Room Let’s have a kiki! The Charlotte-based women-, femme-, and thems-centered party presented by DJ DOMii is coming to Junction West for a fun-filled GNO. Ticketed, raleighpridenc.com
Photo by Alexandra Williams, apwmedia, courtesy of Raleigh Pride
June 22 Out! Raleigh Pride
Paint the town rainbow and get loud and proud for Raleigh’s annual Pride fest benefiting the LGBT Center of Raleigh and its 20+ community programs. There’s no better way to show your pride than the dozen-year-running inclusive + fam-friendly fest on Fayetteville Street feat. live entertainment (including performances by RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 16 fan-favorite Dawn and RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars Season 9 cast member Jorgeous), artists and vendors, food, a beer garden, KidsZone and more. Hey, there’s no such thing as being extra in June! Free, outraleighpride.org
June 22 GAG! Queen Prepare to slay the house boots down for the drag dance party extravaganza of the year. Fit for a queen (and king!), the two-year anniversary show—in partnership with Raleigh Pride—feats a top-notch cast of local and nationally known entertainers, including Alexandra Vittz, Jaida Essence Hall (RuPaul’s Drag Race S12 winner) and Dawn; DJs; and dancing. Real ones will follow it up with a ~legendary~ afterparty at Legends with Jaida Essence Hall and Jorgeous. Be there or be square. Ticketed, livenation.com
June 26 Hump Day Speed Dating You should def come out to potentially find “the one” at Johnson Street Yacht Club. Aw, we love love! Ticketed, raleighpridenc.com
June 27 LGBTQIA + Pro Sports Panel Sports ball is life. Have a ball with the Panthers’ Justine Lindsay, the first openly transgender cheerleader in the NFL; NC Courage’s Kaleigh Kurtz; and NCFC’s Collin Martin at Maywood Hall & Garden. Free, raleighpridenc.com
June 28 Creative Mornings x Raleigh Pride Now how’s this for a creativity-filled morning. Local Chinese-American visual artist and health equity researcher Isabel Lu is speaking on her journey as a creative who wears two hats at the NCMA. Free with registration, raleighpridenc.com
June 29 Awful Movie Club – Pride Edition The gays are reclaiming I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry (“sorry, Sandler, it’s Pride Month!”). Join Newt Work for this special-edition showing at Hartwell in a live RiffTrax-style show where participation is highly encouraged. Say I do! Free, facebook.com
Protecting Raleigh’s Pride
We chatted with at-large Raleigh City Council member Jonathan Melton about how Raleigh’s inclusivity stacks up.
As a whole, where do you think Raleigh stands in terms of our current LGBTQ+ community?
I think we’re making strides in supporting our LGBTQ+ community. Wake County and Raleigh have enacted a comprehensive nondiscrimination ordinance. We have strong advocates working in the space like the LGBT Center of Raleigh, Stonewall Sports Raleigh, Crape Myrtle Festival and Raleigh Pride, among others.
How is Raleigh currently promoting inclusivity?
The events Raleigh Pride plans in June to celebrate Pride Month continue to grow and expand, which raises visibility and creates inclusive spaces. We also have many safe, inclusive gay and queer spaces supported by local small business owners who are committed to our city.
When you travel to other cities, what are some things you see that Raleigh could implement?
I love seeing rainbow crosswalks and better physical markers designating, celebrating and preserving LGBTQ+ spaces. I would love to see Raleigh implement more of this public art, particularly in the Warehouse District, which has been known as the ‘Gayborhood’ for a long time but is rapidly changing.
Where are some areas we fall short?
In many ways, we’re restricted by state law in what we can do to provide additional protections, and certainly some of the legislation we’ve seen proposed or enacted in recent years I think sets us back as a state and a city.
How can the general public support our LGBTQ+ community?
Please support locally owned LGBTQ+ businesses and donate to nonprofit and community groups that are in the space doing the work to promote inclusivity and acceptance!
Believe it or not, Raleigh’s Pride Month all started with a Videri chocolate bar. It was June 2019, and $1 for every Raleigh Pride rainbow-decorated bar sold was donated to the LGBT Center of Raleigh. From there, a sweet (had to) partnership unfurled in the form of 40 events and $35,000 raised for the center during the proud org’s first year.
Co-founded by Roxanne Lundy, Trey Roberts and Josh Lamm (fourth member David Moore joined the team last year), Raleigh Pride—now a 501(c)(3) that fundraises for its own programming but still works closely with the LGBT Center—snowballed very quickly, according to Lundy, because “clearly the community wanted to embrace celebrating Pride in June.”
It was a trip to love-filled NYC during Pride Month that served as a springboard for Lundy to join forces with Roberts and Lamm. “The city was just explosive with Pride celebrations, color and energy—it was so overwhelming in such a positive way,” she recalls of the inspo behind recreating a similar celebration here.
“We were all blown away by the support,” Lundy says of Raleigh Pride Month’s inaugural year. “We thought Raleigh needed a little something—and clearly everyone else did too.”
Since Raleigh’s first inclusive celebration, the “pride is for everyone” mantra has manifested via loads of loving local businesses and organizations showing up to partner with and support Raleigh Pride. Now, Pride Month has become more important than ever—especially given Raleigh’s diminishing queer spaces (see “All in the Gayborhood” sidebar) and the denary of local anti-trans bills (see “The Ups & Downs of Pride History”).
“Raleigh is a space for us and we have the power and ability to shape what it looks like,” says Roberts. “The city’s in its adolescence right now—figuring out who we’re gonna be in the future—and having a strong Pride presence will help ensure [Raleigh is] always inclusive.”
To propel that goal, we’ve put together your go-to source on Raleigh Pride history, events and more so you can stay loud, stay proud and stay inclusive.
Got Pride?
There’s no such thing as being extra in June. Get loud and proud at these monthlong Raleigh Pride celebrations in tandem with a host of community partners. From parties and drag shows (natch) to panels and beyond, it promises to be the most out and proud year yet.
June 2 QUEER PROM Not all heroes wear capes—but, like, wear whatever makes you happy. Wake County’s first-ever free queer prom invites all LGBTQ+ high school students and allies to strut their stuff at the North Raleigh Hilton, no dress code required. Yasss, kween!
June 2 Plaza Pride Party We’re coming out. Let your true colors shine through at this fam-friendly Pride First Friday kickoff to Pride Month in partnership with Downtown Raleigh Alliance at Exchange/Market Plazas feat. DJ Steven, community, a curated market of local vendors and, well, all the feels. So you can love yourself—and all the she/her, he/him, they/them, us/we. raleighpridenc.com
June 3 2023 Run for Love 5K & Day Party Lace up for love and chase the rainbow via a new route through Dix Park starting just off Lake Wheeler Road for the annual 5K benefiting Raleigh Pride and the LGBT Center of Raleigh. And because the children are the future, to get extra loud and proud, bring the minis to pound the pavement for the kids’ out-and-back fun run. Then move from sun to (no) shade and throw down at the Trophy Maywood afterparty made all the more epic this year with drag performances, live music and lip sync contests. Mic drop. runologie.run
June 4 Height’s House First Annual Pride Party Oh, o-gay! Parade your pride around the Parlor via drag entertainers, a live DJ, specialty sips, food trucks, photo ops and lawn games galore. And this soiree isn’t one to skip, esp. because a portion of proceeds are going to the LGBT Center of Raleigh. heightshousenc.com
June 4 Hell Yes Ma’am Pride They, them and everyone promises to have a brewtiful time at this Raleigh Brewing Pride party pouring on the love via beer pours (obv), a beer release (!), live beats and a drag show feat. the brewery’s biggest lineup yet (think Kayla LaShay, Emory Starr, Giselle Cassidy Carter and more). Hell, YES, ma’am! raleighbrewing.com
June 8 The Art of Queer Resistance Not gonna hide my pride at this Artspace panel discussion as part of the Duane Cyrus-curated exhibit Maroon, Maroon, in partnership with Raleigh Pride, featuring LGBTQIA+ visual and performing artists chatting identity, how it informs creation, and how we can support queer visual and performing artists as a community. Aw, we love love. artspacenc.org
June 15 Spaces for Queer Joy Thursday—but make it gay and spark joy. Pop over to CAM Raleigh for this panel discussion with local DJs and event producers to chat the cruciality of having queer nightlife spaces for the LBGTQ+ community in Raleigh. camraleigh.org
June 16 The Token Straight Friend Ally Party There’s always that one friend… Show your support for the LGBTQIA+ community and its allies via this Green Monkey Pride party. “Isn’t it time we celebrated our ally friends?!” greenmonkeyraleigh.com
June 17 Official Pride Bar Crawl Color the town via this crawl through some of Raleigh’s best bars and nightclubs—plus cheers with discounted rainbow-themed drinks and dance the night away to local DJs. Better shake what your mama gave ya! eventbrite.com
June 17 Pride Market and Drag Show All are welcome at Hartwell’s Pride market benefitting the LGBT Center of Raleigh that promises to be bigger and better than last year’s event thanks to 20+ local vendors, food trucks and more. We’re def coming out! hartwellraleigh.com
June 17 Triangle Pride Band Summer Concert We’re here, we’re queer and we’ll be swaying the night away to enchanting melodies of movie and thematic scores via this LGBTQ and ally community band program’s summer concert, “Lore, Tales from the Score.” givebutter.com
June 18 GAG Yacht Club Tea Dance If you like big decks and you cannot lie, get down with your bad self at Johnson Street Yacht Club’s second tea dance—a long-held gay tradition originating in 1966 in New York’s Fire Island Pines at the now-famous Blue Whale bar—of the summer. Who’s got the tea? @jsyachtclub
June 22 Reimagining Blackness One of our true colors is Black. Make yourself an ally at Artspace as part of the Duane Cyrus-curated exhibit Maroon, Maroon, in partnership with Raleigh Pride, with this guest-curated exhibition and conversation with curator/choreographer Cyrus and guest panelists from multiple art backgrounds highlighting what it means to be Black and queer—and the various ways that Blackness, and Black masculinity specifically, is being recast in a positive light through the creative arts. artspacenc.org
June 23 GAG Presents Girls Room Pride I’d U-Haul with you. … Post up at Junction West with the girls for this queer women nonbinary-focused party with four queer DJs droppin’ beats hosted by local queer party organizer GAG in partnership with Charlotte-based Girls Room for a party created and curated by queer women as a safe place for all. raleighpridenc.com
June 24 GAG, Queen We’re all born naked and the rest is drag. … This one’s for the dancing queens. Post partying at Out! Raleigh Pride, werk it over to The Ritz as Raleigh Pride and Live Nation go all out for their biggest party with a GAG-hosted drag queen dance extravaganza—followed by a steady flow of Raleigh-based drag queen performances. Slay! livenation.com
June 24 Out! Raleigh Pride We’re here, we’re queer—and we’re ready to get loud and proud and paint Raleigh rainbow-colored for the 11th installment of Out! Raleigh Pride, the inclusive fam-friendly fest that promotes acceptance and diversity via a fun-filled day on Fayetteville Street with scores of live entertainment, artists, vendors, activities, a KidsZone—and bites and brews—all to benefit the LGBT Center of Raleigh. Pride is for everyone! outraleigh.com
June 25 Let’s Have a Kiki! Let me be perfectly queer… there’s no better way to slay Sunday Funday than for this love-out-loud dance party at Cuya feat. themed cocktails, guests from the drag community, and DJs. To boot, a portion of all proceeds from Let’s Have a Kiki! Drag Is NOT a Crime will go to the ACLU’s Drag Defense Fund.@cuyaraleigh
Pride All Year
Pride is for everyone all the time. Stay out and proud all yearlong at these weekly Purrride happenings.
Raleigh was “born this way.” The city’s queer history resides in the Warehouse District, where—once upon a time—a punk scene blossomed in an otherwise less-desirable part of DTR (think prior to investments like The Dillon, and even long before that). “These queer spaces were able to pop up and feel safe because they were able to control a little bit more and be kind of out of sight, but still present at the same time,” says Raleigh Pride’s David Moore. But what was once a burgeoning district has lost its luster, thanks—in part—to new developments pushing out queer-friendly spaces. “The Gayborhood was an active hub with a lot of LGBTQ businesses—and it still has a couple—but the identity is no longer there as strongly,” maintains Trey Roberts. Still, spots like Flex Nightclub, Legends and Libations 317 are keeping the sparkle alive (for now…).
The Ups & Downs of Pride History
1970: The first Pride marches take place in NYC, LA & Chicago.
1981: NC’s inaugural gay and lesbian march takes place in Durham with the slogan “Our Day Out.”
1986: The Our Day Out march grows into NC’s first official annual Pride march.
1988: The Bull City’s annual march officially becomes North Carolina Pride.
1999: Pride Month becomes official via a proclamation from then-President Bill Clinton.
2010: The LGBT Center of Raleigh opens its doors
2011: The LGBT Center of Raleigh introduces the first Out! Raleigh festival.
2012: NC passes Amendment One to ban civil unions and limit legal unions to marriage between a man and woman.
2016: Love wins in a 5–4 Supreme Court decision in favor of marriage equality.
2016: NC becomes the first state to pass a bill (HB 2) barring transgender people from using bathrooms consistent with their gender identity.
2019: Run for Love 5K laces up for its first race.
2019: Raleigh Pride is founded.
2020: Out! Raleigh is renamed to Out! Raleigh Pride and moves to June.
2023: 10 anti-trans bills are under consideration, including prohibition of certain hormones/surgeries for minors, limiting sports participation, the Parents Bill of Rights, and where “adult live entertainment” can take place.
Roxanne Ejlali Lundy spent the last decade working downtown in the small business community, including at Videri Chocolate Factory and for the Downtown Raleigh Alliance. Having always had an appreciation for fashion, Lundy holds a degree from NC State’s College of Textiles in fashion and product development. Lundy spends her free time following various fashion creatives, doing art projects and staying active with her husband, Will, and she enjoys living close to her parents, in-laws and three younger siblings. Alongside Trey Roberts and Josh Lamm, Lundy is one of the co-founders of the nonprofit Raleigh Pride, dedicated to celebrating the LGBTQ+ community.
Hometown: I am a Raleigh native! I grew up in the neighborhood across from Fred Fletcher Park where all the streets are named after presidents. In high school, my family moved to north Raleigh.
Your neighborhood: Will and I live in the Longview neighborhood east of downtown along with our cat, D.C. (Dairy Cow).
What do you love most about Raleigh: The outdoor trails at the NC Museum of Art, the greenway trails (we like to ride bikes), the Contemporary Art Museum (where my husband and I got married), NC State’s arboretum, Dorothea Dix Park, the murals around town (thanks, Raleigh Murals Project), the Shimmer Wall, the Farmer’s Market and the historic homes.
Currently reading: I follow Slayer Sister’s Book Club and ordered this month’s book, “A Rogue of One’s Own.” I also ordered “Stamped – Racism, Antiracism, and You” and “Accidentally Wes Anderson.”
Currently listening to: It’s the 50th anniversary of the Grateful Dead’s album “American Beauty” so I’ve been listening to that! It was a staple growing up. But typically, I listen to a solid mix of pop and R&B (cue eye roll from my entire family)–Beyonce, Pharrell, John Legend, Alicia Keys, Rhianna, Taylor Swift, Drake. When I need to focus, I listen to recordings of ocean waves.
Style mantra: Clothing doesn’t define you. It is a form of expression. What you wear should make you feel good, give you confidence and inspire a mood. Experiment, have fun and know you (and your style) are always evolving.
Style influencers: Tara Gardiner, one of the owners of Salon Blu, has been doing my hair for 10 years and is incredible. People stop me on the street to ask about my hair. I enjoy following Pierpaolo Piccioli at Valentino, Christopher John Rogers, Rodarte, Prabal Gurung and so many more! I am always mesmerized by Sarah Burton’s collections at Alexander McQueen. I love that both Stella McCartney and Sarah Burton chose to upcycle parts of their recent collections.
Favorite clothing labels: Locally, Raleigh Denim. Otherwise, there isn’t anything unique about the places I shop. I love a good sale! I am drawn to J. Crew, Anthropologie, French Connection and I enjoy discovering brands online I’ve never heard of before. That said, I am making a conscious effort to support sustainable brands. The fashion industry is very wasteful and bad for the environment. My goal is to reduce my impact so I started having my clothes tailored and re-designed at Glenwood South Tailors. I feel like I am gaining a new wardrobe by adjusting pieces I already have!
Flats vs. Heels: There are two things I can’t stand: 1. Being cold and 2. Wearing painful shoes. I’m flats and sneakers all the way. I will choose comfort every time.
Local go-to shop: Raleigh Denim and Edge of Urge. I like popping in to Deco for gifts and admiring Quercus jewelry next door.
Last great lunch: Capital Club 16 is one of my go-to spots. The Golden Garden Sandwich is my favorite.
Go-to piece: My navy blue, leather motorcycle jacket purchased in New York from J.Crew. It was the only size in the store and it fit perfectly. It was meant to be!
Favorite piece of jewelry: I love Peppertrain necklaces and earrings. Kaitlin Ryan makes clay beads by hand, blending colors and creating great shapes. She has incredible style and I love everything she makes!
Travel dreaming: I like to alternate travel-to-explore and travel-to-relax. Before COVID-19, I crammed in some travel to explore. Right now, I’d like to relax on a warm, remote beach somewhere in Hawaii. I’ve never been!
How do you stay fit: I try to maintain a daily stretching routine. There was a brief period this summer where I worked my way into a split but, unfortunately, I wasn’t able to maintain it. I also enjoy kicking the soccer ball. My favorite game involves juggling the soccer ball into the basketball net.
Favorite drink: Every morning I make a pour-over using Black & White Coffee – The Natural. I also drink a green smoothie daily. If I don’t make one at home, I pick one up at Raleigh Raw.
Style secret: My personal style involves a classic look with a pop of something – color, texture or contrast. A few tips I try to keep in mind: • Less is more • Choose one: a strong eyeliner or a bold lip • Look for patterns or stripes that line up at the seams • When in doubt, wear black • Rock it!
Moment in your life that inspired your style: When I was younger, I coveted bold outfits I saw on the street, in magazines and online. I love clothing that stands out but, at the time, didn’t have the confidence to rock it. Finally, it hit me – why not?! Life’s too short. Wear what you want!
