Queens is a vibrant place, home to 2.3 million people who speak nearly 200 languages, believe in every faith, love in every way, and are loud and proud!

In June, with the theme of “Let’s Make Some Noise,” Queens Public Library is going to celebrate our LGBTQ community and the 50th anniversary of the political protests at NYC’s Stonewall Inn, which are seen as the birth of the modern American LGBTQ Pride Movement.

With an array of events that span from author talks and panel discussions to silent dance parties and sing-your-heart-out sing-alongs, information workshops, legal clinics, open mics, performances, and so much more, Queens Public Library is picking up its rainbow megaphone!

As we did last year, Queens Public Library will march in the Queens Pride Parade in Jackson Heights on Sunday, June 2, and the NYC Pride Parade in Manhattan on Sunday, June 30.

Our Queens Memory Project will create displays of Queens Pride Stories at our branches where people can share handwritten notes describing their stories of coming out, supporting the LGBTQ community, and more.

Since love knows no color, shape, or form, customers will have the chance to use colorful paper, markers, and their imaginations to make hearts, or whatever shape they think love has, and add their creations to the Love Is Love Is Love collages at our branches.

Teens can color LGBTQ flags and help hang them in our libraries as a visual representation of LGBTQ people in our community.

Parties and silence don’t usually go together, unless the party venue is your favorite library! Teens will put on their party shoes and headphones and move to the rhythm at Silent Dance Parties for Teens (which won’t disturb the rest of our patrons) at our Cambria Heights, Forest Hills, Queens Public Library for Teens, and Woodside locations.

Our Ask Me Anything panels will aim to take away the awkwardness of asking personal questions in a public forum. Participants can submit their questions anonymously on a piece of paper, and our moderators will share the questions for discussion. There is no such thing as a foolish question, and everybody will be a little bit wiser after this great opportunity for frank, open, and all-encompassing conversations about the LGBTQ community.

At our LGBTQ Information Fair on June 10 at Central Library in Jamaica, health, legal, and social services providers and LGBTQ-positive organizations will gather and offer advice, referrals, and information for our LGBTQ customers and their supporters.

These are just some of the great activities we have planned for LGBTQ Pride Month; to see our full schedule, visit our homepage this June!