Juneteenth is celebrated on or around June 19th, and this year, falls within Portland’s Pride celebrations. Pride is celebrated throughout the month of June and has become synonymous with predominately white cis male and female celebrations across the United States and around the world, even though the origins of Pride began with Black and brown transwomen challenging for their place among cis queer and hetero society. We recognize that the contributions of Black people are the link between Pride and Juneteenth we welcome information and feedback to this page. We hope that The History of Black Drag in Portland is an inaugural event, with many more years of celebration to come.
We offer a brief synopsis below about the origins of Pride and Juneenth and how Portlanders commemorate them. This year, RACE TALKS: Uniting to Break the Chains of Racism honors the intersectionality of Pride and Juneteenth by hosting an event that centers and welcomes QTBIPOC to be in a safe space together and celebrate our legacy and future together. Did you know that Black and Latine trans women and drag queens are credited with starting the Pride movement? Did you know that the drag scene in Portland dates back to the 19th century?
