Happy Pride month, Bangkok! ICYMI (although we don’t know how you could if you were in town), the party started off with a bang at the dazzling Pride parade on June 4 when the masses took to the streets to celebrate the LGBTQIAN+ community. And in partnership with the United Nations Development Program, centralwOrld is keeping up the Pride celebrations all month long to loudly and proudly shout this year’s theme of “Proud to be Pride.”
Photo: centralwOrld
On June 1, centralwOrld held their “Proud to be Pride 2023” ceremony, which saw both a colorful fashion parade and a live concert featuring some of Thailand’s most famous musicians all coming together to kickstart the celebrations. In addition to the Pride parade, centralwOrld also hosted a pride talk earlier this month where celebrities from the LBTQIAN+ communities spoke openly about their experiences in Thailand and abroad, including raising awareness for the struggles that these marginalized groups still face in their journey to receive equality in Thai society.
Photo: centralwOrld
There was also the MADE WITH PRIDE Single Market in collaboration with Spicydisc and Tinder, where attendees could listen to live music while checking out vendors that covered food, clothes, horoscopes, and all that other fun stuff.
Photo: centralwOrld
If you’re wondering what else is on the agenda, as well as how you yourself can show your support for our LGBTQIAN+ communities, centralwOrld has a slew of big and smaller Pride-themed events planned for the rest of the month. Whether you want to shop consciously or attend an event with your friends this weekend, here’s how you can do just that and keep on celebrating Pride month:
Check out a Pride-themed exhibit by a local artist
Photo: centralwOrld
Renowned Thai artist Prapassorn “Teayii” Kanchanasu has an installation art exhibition titled Seat the Pride up at centralwOrld Square. Inspired by the Pride flag and adorned with iterations of rainbow flag art, the work celebrates equality for all and aims to convey the message that “there is love, pride, and value in the way we are.” Teayii is best known for spreading uplifting messages through her art and regularly partners with brands to promote equality and awareness for marginalized communities, such as her “A Voice that Matters” event with King Power Mahanakhon earlier this year in celebration of International Women’s Day. Her Seat the Pride exhibition is completely free to attend and will be on until the end of July.
Support LGBTQIAN+ independent artists with some retail therapy
Photo: centralwOrld
If you’re going to shop, why not make sure your money is supporting local queer artists? A number of stores in centralwOrld will be doing their part to celebrate Pride Month, such as CASETiFY’s “Pride Collection” phone cases, which were designed by and celebrate LGBTQIAN+ communities worldwide. On the food and beverage side of things, ice-cream maestros Guss Damn Good has a number of newly created flavors for Pride Month, and Japanese restaurant Daisen has also rolled out special menu items such as their rainbow sushi. Other brands with special pride collections that you can support include Roughcut, Adidas, Nike, USEMEREPEAT, Leisure Projects, Sculpture Studio, Painkiller, MOO, Rally Movement, Nipon, Mumu, and Vanity Clubxs.
Cheer on the queens in the world’s largest transgender beauty pageant
Photo: centralwOrld
On June 19, cheer on this year’s entries for the Miss International Queen Pageant as they vie for the coveted crown. First established in 2004, Miss International Queen is the world’s biggest beauty pageant for transgender contestants. The current Miss International Queen is Fuschia Anne Ravena from the Philippines, who won the title last year. In addition to the grand title of “Miss International Queen,” there are also a number of other categories that contestants will compete for, including two runner-up spots, “Miss Congeniality,” “Best Talent,” and “Best National Costume.”
Keep an eye out for other Pride-themed events across the city
Photo: centralwOrld
Obviously, this isn’t an exhaustive list of Pride-centered events in Bangkok nor are they the only ways you can (and should) be supporting Pride month and all that it stands for. In addition to staying educated and informed on how to be a good ally and fight for equality for marginalized members of our society, you can also keep an eye out for other ways to celebrate our city’s LGBTQIAN+ communities throughout the rest of the month (and beyond!).
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