Spearheaded by LA Pride, LGBTQ Pride organizations from across America have come together to create the first-ever National Pride Stride Virtual Run. The nationwide LGBTQ virtual 5k/10k event will commemorate National Coming Out Day on Sunday, October 11, 2020.

More than 34 Pride organizations across the country, from San Francisco to Des Moines to Washington DC, are uniting to recognize National Coming Out Day and the #StillWeVote campaign leading up to November’s election. All participants will receive a goodie bag featuring Pride-branded swag and themed Pride Stride finishers medal, plus a fanny pack and more.

“Collectively, we’ve had to stay indoors during our Pride season thanks to the pandemic and follow safety guidelines, but we didn’t go away,” said newly appointed LA Pride president Sharon-Franklin Brown. “It’s important that we show we haven’t stopped making each and every member of our respective communities visible and matter. We’re leading the effort to get people moving and help them get out, figuratively and literally, across the country to safely show their pride in solidarity with this event.”

While LA Pride is leading the call alongside other Pride organizations for individuals to sign-up and participate, this national event impacts every city and town’s LGBTQ community. Each of the participating Pride organizations will help promote Pride Stride in their own respective regions, kicking off an uplifting, fun, and masked 5k/10k event for LGBTQ communities and their supporters.

“These times require us to reflect and modify the actions that we take and the programming that we develop in our fight for full freedom and equality,” said Ryan Bos, Executive Director of the Capital Pride Alliance in Washington, D.C. “We are thrilled to partner with other Pride organizations across the United States for the inaugural, nationwide virtual Pride Stride 5k/10k. This event will be part of our #StillWeVote campaign, a call to action for members of the LGBTQ community and our allies. Our votes are our voices, and we have too much at stake to sit by idly. Let us acknowledge that #StillWe must run and walk to the ballot box or mailbox for this November’s General Election!” Bos emphasized.

Individuals wishing to participate can register for the event and gear up for their own personal journey. The unique aspect of the virtual 5k/10k allows each participant to safely walk or run solo at their own leisure, without needing to worry about massive crowds or a time limit. There is no official route, nor permits required. They can actively promote their own sign-up, their family members’ and friends’ involvement through social media and rally others to participate.

“The COVID pandemic greatly impacted Pride celebrations around the world and the heartland was not exempt. To ensure the safety of our community, all in-person Pride activities were canceled and replaced with virtual events. When possible, we masked-up in solidarity with our Black and Brown brothers and sisters in support of the Black Lives Matter movement,” said Jennifer Carruthers, President of Capital City Pride in Des Moines, IA. “The health and safety of our community is our top priority, and Pride Stride is an opportunity for us to come together safely to celebrate.”

A portion of each participant’s Pride Stride registration fee will go to their local Pride 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, helping to sustain them and support the work they do for their LGBTQ community. Organizers are working with both local and national sponsors including State Farm as premiere partner of the virtual event. 

Registration for the inaugural Pride Stride Virtual Run is $40 and opens today at Pridestride.org. For more information or to help make the event shine, follow @pridestrideofficial on Facebook and Instagram.

About the Pride Stride

Pride Stride is a 5k or 10k virtual race in which participants have the option to run or walk the five to ten-kilometer distance on the treadmill, sidewalk or trail. A portion of the proceeds raised through the virtual event will help provide support to local Pride organizations across the country. All participants will receive a commemorative ¼ zip technical jacket, Pride finishers medal, a fanny pack, wrist bands and custom race bib shipped directly to each participant. For more information, or to register for the event, visit pridestride.org.

Wear your favourite rainbow gear for 10 days and count those steps – get mooving around the GV! FREE! ALL WELCOME!

Take part in
our 10-day Pride Step Challenge (22 Oct – 1 Nov). Make your
COVID-safe-exercise count by getting “out in the open”, keeping your
mind and body active for a great cause! Whether you walk, run, roll,
dance or sashay, raise awareness and visibility for LGBTIQA communities
– show your rainbow pride and celebrate diversity as a friend, family
member, ally or LGBTIQA person.

Registration
is FREE and showbags to be collected prior to the run/walk containing
rainbow items will help you shine like a rainbow proudly (e.g. drink
bottle, key-ring, rainbow flag and more!)

On day 10,
walk a lap or two around Victoria Park Lake (Sunday 1 Nov) to celebrate
your efforts – ALL WELCOME! Bring/wear rainbows or your favourite
creative outfits as we also recognise/celebrate OUTintheOPEN Festival –
photo opportunity to follow your lap of the lake. Look out for our #volunqueers!

GV PRIDE is
Greater Shepparton’s LGBTIQA peer and social support group. We are
grateful for your support! Please make a tax deductible donation today.

More info to come via www.outintheopen.org.au re: logging your daily steps! PRIZE TO BE WON!

Funding
support provided by the Victorian Government – Equality Branch,
Department of Premier and Cabinet & Greater Shepparton City Council.

OUTintheOPEN is Greater Shepparton’s Festival celebrating LGBTIQA pride and community diversity.

This year the
line-up and format will be unique, as are the times! Online Carnival Day
with live music/entertainment, forums, drag story-time, community
brunch and care/wellbeing packages are all part of #OITO2020
alongside our 10-day-long event, the GV Pride Fun Run/Walk, where you
can skip, dance, roll, sashay and get “out in the open” with our
pride-step challenge!

OUTintheOPEN
was developed to address some of the inequalities faced by the local
lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and gender diverse, intersex, queer,
asexual (LGBTIQA ) communities and to build a more inclusive
community in Greater Shepparton.

OUTintheOPEN is a project led by Goulburn Valley Pride Inc. and is
proudly supported by many other organisations and community groups. Join
us!

Part dance party, part friendly competition, Virtual Drag Bingo is the most fun you’ll have on a Friday night (in or out of quarantine).Jersey City’s Vanity Ray hosts 4 rounds of bingo online using Zoom. Each round winner gets a prize, with a cash prize for the final round!

Virtual Drag Bingo continues on the following dates:

October 16 at 8:00pm EST

October 23 at 8:00pm EST

October 30 – at 8:00pm EST – Halloween theme

November 6 at 8:00pm EST

November 13   at 8:00pm EST

November 20   at 8:00pm EST

$12 per Bingo board. You can use the same board for all 4 games or buy more to increase your odds.

Cash prize is a percentage of ticket sales; the more people that play, the higher the cash prize!