What to Do in Preparation for Pride Month

As pride month arrives, we think a lot about pride parades and other activities during the festivities. Because of that, it’s common to face situations we weren’t completely prepared for. If you plan to participate in a parade or larger event, some preparation is required. Some of us aren’t aware of them and might end up in difficult situations.

You must avoid going by yourself, as in any major event. Also, try practicing and planning what you want to do on the day a few weeks before it. I’ll give you some tips about how to do that, so you can be prepared when the day arrives. Make sure you read through these tips and follow them, especially if that’s your first time at Pride.

1. Find a group of friends

Pride is way better with friends! The event is celebrating the LGBTQ community as a whole, after all, and should be a reminder that you’re not alone at all. Go ahead and gather some of your Queer or Ally friends to accompany you to the event. They may serve as emotional support to encourage you during this special date and the following activities. Besides that, being in a group during a parade prevents you from getting lost or discouraged by the crowd. This is a major concern for introverted cross-dressers such as me. Many people will be at the parade, and not knowing anyone else there could be quite awkward.

In addition to that, depending on where you live, not walking alone may also be a safety measure. It’s worth reminding that intolerance and discrimination still exist, so we never know when it’s safe to be alone. Attacks against pride parades are not unheard of, and being by yourself makes you more vulnerable. If you don’t have any personal friends that can go with you, try making new ones online. Interact with the community and find other LGBTQ people willing to accompany you in your city. It is not an impossible task, as long as you know where to look, but be careful with fake profiles.

2. Practice your skills

If you’re going to a pride parade, the chances are that you’ll want to do so en femme. After all, it is time for you to celebrate your identity, including your feminine side. It is a special occasion, and even if you don’t make a point of looking passable, you want to look good. To do so, you should be practicing your skills and training on the outfit you plan to use. Play around with makeup and try to find something that works for you. If you want to, you can use this time to perfect other feminizing skills as well. I would recommend shapewear endurance tests and body language training. Another tip is to train your voice to make it sound more feminine. Pick your goals according to your plans for the day, and invest some time into practicing what you feel you need. This whole exercise will help you to gain confidence and head to the parade without looking back.

3. Get a special outfit

As discussed in the previous topic, you want to look good at such a special event. And your outfit is also something important to think about. A lot of people try some revealing stuff, but not everyone is prepared for that. Drawing attention is a good tip since Pride is associated with colorful stuff. Vibrant colors, especially rainbow tones, will help you blend in and stay in touch with the theme. If you want to stand out, stick with a single color. Another good idea is to find out which one is your pride flag and dress it up in its colors. Mine, for example, is the gender-fluid flag since that’s my identity. So I could dress up in a mixture of blue, black, purple, white, and pink. You may also explore new kinds of cleavage and such. Just don’t care too much about what others will think. You should be wearing something that makes you happy and proud, and your opinion is the only one that matters.

4. Make some posters and signs

Posters and signs are a signature of Pride parades and of pride month as a whole. They help elevate morale and encourage other community members to join the mass. They usually have words of order, the community’s demands, or motivational phrases. And the best part about them is that anyone can make one with a piece of cardboard and some paint. SO if you’re going to a parade, this is an experience you shouldn’t miss.

If you’re in doubt about what to write, think about your motivations. Why are you there? What are your demands? Or else, what do you want other cross-dressers to hear? Take a large cardboard square or wooden plaque, and write it down. You can use some vibrant paints or markers to make it visible. After that, all you have to do is hold it up so everyone can see your art!

5. Plan your activities

To have everything under control, get yourself an itinerary. Keep track of how the parade is being planned, and see where and when it is supposed to end. It prevents you from getting lost in the process. The time of the day is also important as it determines if you should eat something and what you can wear. Comfort is a key to enduring the whole event, so plan your activities with that in mind. Another tip is always to keep a water bottle around. It is an essential item to keep you hydrated at all times and prevent you from getting too tired.

There’s a lot to do during pride parades. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by all of that and get lost. But as long as you prepare yourself with anticipation, nothing will go wrong. So gather your friends, practice your skills and do the best planning you can. Once Pride hits, you’ll know how to deal with any major problems. Have you been to a Pride celebration before? We’d love to hear about it, so tell us in the comments!

QUIZ:

What preparation is your priority for pride month?

A. Finding friends to go with you


B. Practicing your cross-dressing skills


C. Preparing an outfit

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