According to a 2024 Gallup poll, 9.3 percent of American adults identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, nearly doubling the number from 2020. Phoenix has long prided itself on being a welcoming and diverse city, celebrating all communities that contribute to this fun, thriving desert metropolis.
This month, the City of Phoenix’s official Pride festivities will mark more than 40 years of visibility. As summer temperatures finally subside, it’s the perfect time to step out and celebrate the joy and resilience of the queer community. From art parties and virtual film festivals centering queer storytellers to LGBTQ+ video game groups, the Valley is exploding with a glittering array of exciting events this October.
As long as you’re respectful, you don’t have to be a part of the queer community to enjoy the alternative creativity and fun of claiming your identity loudly and proudly. Whether you’re queer, questioning, an ally – or part of the growing number of Americans who identify somewhere on the spectrum – here are some highlights to celebrate Phoenix Pride Month in safety and style.
Sissy Art
Some of history’s most visionary artists have been queer, including Frida Kahlo, Andy Warhol, Keith Haring and Michelangelo. But you don’t have to be a master – or queer! – to show up to a Sissy Art party and tap into your own unique artistic expression.
Queer-owned Sissy Art hosts creative art parties and exuberant events all over the Valley, making art fun and accessible to everyone – from private gatherings in queer clubs to family-friendly kids’ birthday parties. Built for all skill levels, Sissy Art guides participants through its vibrant paint bar, adding a flair of color and fun to any party.
Phoenix Gaymers
Phoenix Gaymers is Arizona’s largest nonprofit video and online gaming community for queer folks. Hosting regular in-person and online safe spaces for LGBTQIA+ people interested in gaming – whether its old-school board games, video games, card games or tabletop role-playing games – Phoenix Gaymers welcomes people of all skill levels, from newbies to pros.
While many digital spaces can become toxic for queer people, Phoenix Gaymers provides a positive space where all identities are celebrated, including anime fans, furries, alt queers and neurodivergent folks looking to build community while engaging in some friendly competition.
Greater Phoenix Equality Chamber of Commerce
Founded in 1980, the Greater Phoenix Equality Chamber of Commerce (GPECC) is one of the oldest nonprofit LGBTQIA+ chambers of commerce in the United States. GPECC leads efforts to support local queer businesses in the Valley by offering tools to thrive. Membership includes access to networking events, a job board, business directory, leadership, business training and more. GPECC also hosts regular art markets centering the work of queer creatives, as well as other events open to LGBTQ+ freelancers and entrepreneurs, and those who support their work.
Desperado Film Festival
Desperado Film Festival, a trailblazing queer film fest hosted by Paradise Valley Community College, ran for 16 years before being canceled by an executive anti-DEI order this year. Thankfully, after reporting by local queer news outlet LOOKOUT, New York City-based queer arts initiative NewFest stepped in to help revive it. Thanks to these efforts, Arizona residents can gain complimentary virtual access to queer films online now through October 21.
Film history is full of queer stories – from classic movies like The Matrix to Dog Day Afternoon and iconic actors like Marlon Brando and Marlene Dietrich. But if you’re looking for movies by independent and emerging queer creatives with fresh stories, Desperado Film Festival is the perfect local organization to support while munching popcorn from the comfort of your own couch.
Free Birdz
According to 2023 Human Rights Campaign and IPSOS data, 1 percent of adults worldwide identify as transgender, and an additional 2 percent identify as non-binary or genderfluid. In the United States, more than four in ten adults know someone who is trans, and more than one in five know someone who uses non-binary pronouns.
Despite being a marginalized group, trans and non-binary folks are integral to communities the world over. In Phoenix, Free Birdz is a trans and non-binary community meet-up group that offers movie nights, fundraisers for social justice causes, self-defense workshops and a safe space for trans+ people to be themselves. Joy is resilience, and Free Birdz celebrates gender diversity both for folks in the community and the allies who love and support them.
Brick Road Coffee
Everyone deserves to have a space to sip a caffeinated beverage and munch on a sumptuous snack. Sadly, queer people can feel unsafe just going to their local coffee shop.
Described as a “small but mighty team of coffee-loving queers,” this locally owned café in Tempe offers artisanal coffee and tasty pastries with a warm, colorful ambiance. Brick Road champions an environment that is welcoming to all, focused on uplifting LGBTQ+ people, sober spaces and community allies. They regularly host fun meetups for queer-spectrum people, including writing groups, trans+ get-togethers, Dungeons & Dragons games and Tarot For Troubled Times, helping us to envision positive queer futures.
Phoenix Pride Festival
For 44 years, Phoenix Pride has been organizing rallies, entertainment, parades and education outreach in support of the Valley’s growing LGBTQIA+ community. This year, the festivities will kick off the weekend of October 18-19 in Steele Indian School Park, with performances by headliners Snow Tha Product, Big Freedia, Todrick Hall and more. The celebration will also feature local food trucks, craft drinks and family-friendly fun for the queer community and allies.
Phoenix Pride is committed to creating a safe space for all, especially undocumented, immigrant and mixed-status families. Due to increased ICE activity in Arizona, Phoenix Pride will immediately notify attendees of ICE presence at or near events. In this fearful environment, it is more important than ever to show up in support of the queer community, celebrate your own unique identity and remember love is love.
