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SPECIAL: Long COVID health advice from Asthma UK and the British Lung Foundation

Long COVID is used to describe signs and symptoms that last for longer than 4 weeks after getting COVID-19. Long COVID can affect your whole body and you may experience lots of different symptoms, either at once or at different times

Long COVID Symptoms can include:

  • breathlessness
  • extreme tiredness (fatigue)
  • problems with memory and concentration (known as ‘brain fog’)
  • a cough that’s been ongoing since you’ve had COVID-19.

Other common Long COVID symptoms can include:

  • difficulty sleeping (insomnia)
  • dizziness
  • pins and needles
  • joint pain
  • chest pain or tightness; heart palpitations (these may need urgently investigating, so it’s important to seek medical help as soon as possible)
  • depression and anxiety
  • tinnitus, earaches
  • feeling sick, diarrhoea, stomach aches, loss of appetite
  • a high temperature, cough, headaches, sore throat, changes to sense of smell or taste
  • rashes

What should I do if I think I’ve got Long COVID and what care can I expect?

If you think you may have Long COVID, you should contact your GP surgery, who will offer you an appointment either in person, by video or over the phone.  They should also give you information in the format or language you need, as this will help you make decisions about your care.  

If you have been in hospital with COVID-19, you should be contacted by a healthcare professional 6 weeks after you’ve been discharged, to check on how you’re doing and ask about your symptoms.

Your doctor will try to find out if you have Long COVID if you either:

  • still have symptoms after 4 weeks
  • have new symptoms 4 weeks after you first had symptoms of COVID-19.

If the healthcare professional seeing you thinks you might have Long COVID, they will look at your medical history and ask a few questions, such as:

  • Have you had COVID-19? You don’t need to have had a positive test, especially if you think you had COVID-19 before testing was widely available.
  • What symptoms have you had?
  • When did your symptoms start and how long have you had them? They might also ask about other medical conditions that you have.

They might also ask:

  • Do you have any difficulties with your memory or thinking?
  • How you are managing with your day-to-day activities? 
  • Have you noticed any changes in your behaviour, emotions or mood?

The type of care you can expect to receive when recovering from coronavirus depends on how long you have had symptoms.

The healthcare professional treating you will carry out or refer you for tests to investigate your symptoms and help rule out any other conditions or issues. These tests might include:

  • blood tests
  • tests to measure your blood pressure and heart rate
  • an exercise tolerance test
  • ECG (heart tracing)
  • a chest x-ray – this will be done by the time you have had symptoms for 12 weeks, if you still have breathing issues.

After you’ve had your assessment, you will agree what you need to do next with your doctor. This could be more tests, support or rehabilitation. 

What support you get will depend on how your symptoms are affecting your life. You may be referred to a Long COVID assessment clinic, where you’ll be looked after and supported by a range of health care professionals. These are currently only available in England.

How many people in the UK have Long COVID?

The exact figures vary, but data from the Office for National Statistics released on 1 July 2021 estimated 962,000 people in the UK (1.5% of the population) were experiencing self-reported “Long COVID” symptoms. A study by scientists at Imperial College London put the figure at around two million.

How long does it take to recover from Long COVID?

The speed of recovery depends on many factors – it could take weeks or months. Long COVID isn’t the same for everyone, so you may need different care and support to other people who have had it.

While recovering from COVID-19, you might find that you become breathless at times, or you’re more breathless than normal. There are a few ways you can deal with your breathlessness, depending on the type of problem you’re experiencing. You can find more advice on how to deal with breathlessness if you have Long COVID on the BLF website, which includes videos with techniques you can practise. The videos have been translated into Bengali, Gujarati, Mandarin and Urdu, and can be viewed here: blf.org.uk/support-for-you/long-covid/breathlessness-support/managing-breathlessness/breathing-control

There are plenty of things you can do help your fatigue, including getting yourself into a routine and slowly getting more active. To learn about more ways to manage your energy when recovering from Long COVID, including a video course to help people with Long COVID keep moving and get more active, take a look at the BLF website: blf.org.uk/support-for-you/long-covid/movement-and-energy-support

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Community Lite Blogs Media

IndiaCast UK Unveils COLORS Gujarati

IndiaCast UK ropes in 5 channel partners  for the launch of COLORS Gujarati in the UK … reports Asian Lite News

The channel which launched in June on Sky TV and Virgin TV is the only premium Gujarati Entertainment channel available for the sizeable Gujarati speaking population in UK.

Since the launch, the channel has been performing well on the ratings chart. This has drawn some exceptional brands in the UK to partner with COLORS Gujarati. These brands include Skrill Money Transfer, Sunrise Radio, Vasu Healthcare (TRICHUP Haircare), East African Foods (Wots Kenyan Chevdo) and Sumeet’s Step2Step Dance Academy, along with a few notable show sponsors as well.

Elaborating on the development, Govind Shahi, Executive Vice President, IndiaCast UK said, “The fact that we have 5 channel partners on-board during the launch phase itself speaks volumes about the trust our partners and advertisers have in us and on the channel. Colors Gujarati is a perfect platform to reach a targeted audience base; especially in today’s times, when one does not have the luxury to go all out with mass media campaigns. The initial viewership numbers for Colors Gujarati UK are encouraging and we are sure that all our partners can work on building a regular engagement with our loyal audience base.”

Jitesh Malde, MD – JDM Distributors, said, “We are proud to support the launch of Colors Gujarati, the only Gujarati language entertainment channel in the UK. Our loyal customer base includes diaspora especially East African Gujaratis who are proud of their culture much like our Kenyan Chevdo, which celebrates our unique heritage. HAKUNA MATATA, enjoy our delicious Chevdo.”

Tony Lit MBE Managing Director of Sunrise Radio mentioned “We are delighted to be working with Colors Gujarati on this launch. I think a quality focussed channel for the British Gujarati community will be very well received and has been long overdue – entertainment choice and quality content are so important. Congratulations Colors Gujarati.”

Adding to this, M Vala, Head of International Business, Vasu Healthcare – India said: “TRICHUP is a renowned Hair care brand in 50+ countries which we have recently launched in the UK with the help of Colours Gujarati and we have started getting fabulous response from the market. Thank you team Colours Gujarati UK.”

Wishing the team on the launch of the channel, Sumeet’s Step2Step Bollywood Dance Academy, said “Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success. Wishing all the very best to Colors Gujarati UK for their channel launch and keep inspiring.” 

Ritu Soni, VP Product – Skrill Money Transfer, signed off by saying “We are excited to support Colors Gujarati channel launch in the UK and keep helping Indian diaspora send money to their loved ones quickly and safely.”

This channel’s marketing campaign revolves around the theme of “Dil Thi Gujarati” literally conveying that the channel will resonate with each and every Gujarati speaking in the UK. With a perfect mix of family dramas, comedy, movies, mythological & food shows; the channel surely lives up to the colourful and variety seeking Gujarati audience expectations. The channel is also running a small contest for all viewers currently and has planned a couple of interesting viewer engagement activities in the near future. Stay tuned in and do not miss out on the fun!

Colors Gujarati UK is available on Sky TV No. 794 & Virgin Media No. 825

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-Top News Community UK News

UK Foreign Office sorry for LGBT staff ban

The official said he wanted “to apologise publicly for the ban and the impact it had on our LGBT staff and their loved ones, both here in the UK and abroad.”…reports Asian Lite News.

The UK Foreign Office apologized on Monday for the historic ban that prevented LGBT people from working in the British diplomatic service until 1991.

In a message to staff, Philip Barton, Permanent Under-Secretary at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and Head of the Diplomatic Service said: “The ban was in place because there was a perception that LGBT people were more susceptible than their straight counterparts to blackmail and, therefore, that they posed a security risk.”

The official said he wanted “to apologise publicly for the ban and the impact it had on our LGBT staff and their loved ones, both here in the UK and abroad.”

Baron claimed, however, that since the ban was lifted 30 years ago, the Foreign Office had made “great progress” in employing LGBT people and becoming a champion for LGBT rights around the world.

Xinhua quoting UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab reported that he also thanked the LGBT diplomats who represented the UK in the past or are working in the foreign service, and highlighted that as a co-chair of the Equal Rights Coalition (ERC), alongside Argentina, the UK is working with 41 partner countries to tackle discriminatory laws and prejudice globally.

The official apology comes as the UK prepares to co-host an ERC conference on July 6-7 as a preamble of the global LGBT global conference to be held in person in London in June 2022. (ANI)

ALSO READ-Violence against LGBTI people increased during Covid: EU

READ MORE-Biden recognises LGBTQ Pride Month

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Community India News

DNA of all Indians is same, says RSS chief

The RSS chief said, “Hindu-Muslim unity is misleading as they both are not different, but one. DNA of all Indians is the same, irrespective of religion.”…reports Asian Lite News.

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday said that the DNA of all Indians is the same, irrespective of religion, even as he condemned lynching.

“We are one on the basis of our motherland. So there is no need to fight here. We are all descendants of common ancestors. All of us Indians have the same DNA. Whatever may be our religion,” Bhagwat said.

Bhagwat said that the Sangh does not believe in the politics of votes. “We are in favour of the nation. We support those who are in favour of it. The work of connecting people cannot be done by politics. Politics is not a tool for this work, but is rather a weapon of destruction.”

He was speaking at a function in Ghaziabad organised by the Muslim Rashtriya Manch on the theme ‘Hindustani First, Hindustan First’ for the release of a book titled – ‘The Meeting of Minds: A Bridging Initiative’ – written by Khwaja Iftikhar Ahmed. The book is available in Hindi, Urdu and English.

The RSS chief said, “Hindu-Muslim unity is misleading as they both are not different, but one. DNA of all Indians is the same, irrespective of religion.”

He urged the Muslims not to get trapped in the cycle of fear that Islam is in danger in India.

“Don’t get trapped in the cycle of fear that Islam is in danger in India,” he said.

He said all those involved in lynching are against Hindutava, Bhagwat said, “If a Hindu says that no Muslim should live here, then that person is not Hindu. The cow is a holy animal but the people who are lynching others are going against Hindutva. The law should take its own course against them without any partiality.”

Emphasising that development is not possible without unity, Bhagwat pointed out that the basis of unity should be nationalism. “The only solution to Hindu-Muslim conflict is dialogue, not discord. We are in a democracy. There can’t be a dominance of Hindus or Muslims. There can only be the dominance of Indians,” he said.

He mentioned that the RSS keeps working to strengthen the nation and for the welfare of all in society. He once again said that the RSS is not a political organisation.

ALSO READ-RSS: Secularism is a western, Semitic concept

READ MORE-RSS takes a dig at China; talks of new world order

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-Top News Community India News

SURVEY: Majority Indians Respect All Religions

The Pew study, which covered 29,999 Indian adults, concluded that citizens of India are “united in the view” that respecting other religions is a very important part … reports Asian Lite News

According to an extensive study conducted by the Pew Research Centre, 84 per cent of Indians said that to be “truly Indian”, it is very important to respect all religions.

The study, which covered 29,999 Indian adults, concluded that citizens of India are “united in the view” that respecting other religions is a very important part.

People in six major religious groups openly asserted they are “free to practice their faith” and that people of other religions are also free to practice their own religion.

The research was conducted in 2019 and early 2020 before the coronavirus pandemic. The study found that nearly 97 per cent of Indians believe in God and 80 per cent people across religious groups feel that God exists, however, one-third Buddhists said they do not believe in God.

Interestingly, the Pew research found that India’s religious groups share several religious practices and beliefs.

For example, 29 per cent Sikhs, 22 per cent Christian women and 18 per cent Muslim women wear a bindi (marking on the forehead of a married woman) although it is a Hindu symbol, with Muslims, Hindus and Christians likely to believe in Karma.

The study also found that some members of the majority Hindu community celebrate Muslim and Christian festivals.

The research further found that 48 per cent of Indian Muslims said that the Partition of the subcontinent in 1947 was a bad thing for Hindu-Muslim relations, with 74 per cent Muslims in support of access to existing Islamic courts.

Gurudwara Takht Sri Hazoor Sahib, Nanded, India(India News Network )

As far as religious identity is concerned, nearly 72 per cent people surveyed said a person cannot be a Hindu if they eat beef, while among Muslims 77 per cent said a person cannot be a Muslim if they eat pork.

The research revealed that close friends of Indian citizens come mainly or entirely from their own religious community. But they have a different view when it comes to inter-religious marriages. Both Hindus and Muslims are averse to interfaith marriages, with majority of respondents from both communities opposing it.

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Community India News Lite Blogs

For most Indians respecting all faiths very important

Eighty-five per cent of Hindus and 78 per cent of both Muslims and Christians agreed with the view that respect for all religions is integral to being Indian, it said…reports Arul Louis.

In a resounding endorsement of India’s enduring secular values, an extensive report has found that most Indians respect all religions as it is “very important to being truly Indian” and they are all free to practice their religions.

“Tolerance is a religious as well as civic value: Indians are united in the view that respecting other religions is a very important part of what it means to be a member of their own religious community,” said the report by the US-based Pew Research Center that was based on face-to-face interviews with nearly 30,000 Indians.

“Indians generally feel their country has lived up to one of its post-independence ideals: a society where followers of many religions can live and practice freely,” the report released on Tuesday said.

Eighty-five per cent of Hindus and 78 per cent of both Muslims and Christians agreed with the view that respect for all religions is integral to being Indian, it said.

The report said there was overwhelming support for the view that “respecting other religions is a very important part of their own religious identity”.

It said that 80 per cent of Hindus, 75 per cent of Sikhs, 79 of Muslims, 78 per cent of Christians and 75 per cent of Sikhs agreed with that proposition.

The belief that they were “very free” to practice their religion found tremendous support across religions, with 91 per cent of Hindus, 89 per cent of both Muslims and Christians and 82 per cent of Sikhs endorsing it.

Pew Research Center, one of the foremost think tanks and polling organisations on religion and society, said that it conducted the interviews in 17 languages across India between late 2019 and before the Covid-19 pandemic struck the next year.

Its report based on the polling covers religious beliefs, politics and social issues and summaries of the report were also issued in Hindi and Tamil.

But in a discordant note, the report found that for many Hindus, being of the Hindu faith and speaking Hindi were essential to being “truly Indian”.

However, 65 per cent of the Hindus who hold those beliefs and voted for the BJP also said that religious diversity was good for the country.

It said that for 64 per cent of Hindus to be truly Indian one had to belong to the religion and for 59 per cent speaking Hindi was essential.

There were wide divergences regarding the Partition of India, according to the report: 66 per cent of Sikhs and 48 per cent of Muslims considered it “bad”, while only 37 per cent of Hindus and 30 per cent of Christians shared the view.

Forty-three per cent of Hindus, 30 per cent of Muslims, 25 per cent of Sikhs and 37 per cent of Christians said it was good, the report added.

In a sign of weakening caste barriers, Pew said that most Indians, 72 per cent, from other castes said that they would be willing to have a Dalit as a neighbour.

The report also included the non-sequitur that members of various religions saw themselves as different from adherents of other religions: 66 per cent of Hindus see themselves as “very different” from Muslims who reciprocate the perception by 64 per cent.

But it also said that certain religious beliefs were shared by many people across the religious divide irrespective of their dogma.

Seventy-seven per cent of both Hindus and Muslims, and 54 per cent of Christians believed in Karma, and 32 per cent of Christians believed in the “purifying power” of the waters of the Ganga, which 81 per cent of Hindus also believed, the report said.

There was significant acceptance of rebirth, by 27 per cent of Muslims and 29 per cent of Christians, it said.

Three per cent of Muslims and five per cent of Christians said that there were many gods.

“While these may seem like theological contradictions, for many Indians, calling oneself a Muslim or a Christian does not preclude believing in karma or reincarnation – beliefs that do not have a traditional, doctrinal basis in Islam or Christianity,” Pew said.

When it comes to marriages, there is still strong opposition to alliances across religious and caste lines.

A larger percentage of Muslims, 80 per cent, than Hindus, 67 per cent want to stop women of their religion marrying outsiders, according to the report, which also found that 76 per cent of Muslims and 65 per cent of Hindus were against their men marrying outside their faith.

Among Sikhs, 59 per cent were for stopping inter-religious marriages of their women and 58 per cent for their men, the report said.

Only 37 per cent of Christians were against women of their religion marrying members of other religions, and 35 per cent when it came to men having inter-religious marriages, it said.

When it comes to inter-caste marriages, a majority of Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Jains consider stopping them for both men and women a high priority, Pew reported.

Overall, 64 per cent of Indians said it is “very important” to stop women in their community from marrying into other castes, while it was 62 per cent when it came to men, the report said, adding that “nearly identical shares” of Dalits and other caste members said that stopping inter-caste marriages is “very important”.

The report said that in the 2019 national elections, 60 per cent of Hindus who subscribed to the view that it was “very important” to be Hindu and to speak Hindi to be truly Indian voted for the BJP, compared to only a third of Hindu voters who felt less strongly about both these aspects of national identity.

The report, however, found very large differences between regions on these view of Indianess.

In the Central Indian states of Uttarkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Chhatisgarh, 83 per cent of Hindus considered being Hindu was very important to being truly Indian; while in the South the corresponding figure was 42 per cent, and 87 of Hindus in Central India gave that degree of importance to speaking Hindi, while in the South the comparable percentage was only 27 per cent.

Pew said that conversions have not had an impact on the religious composition of India and attributed the changes to differing fertility rates among religious groups.

To buttress this argument, it asserted that 81.6 per cent of Hindus said that they were raised as Hindus and a nearly identical 81.7 per cent said they were still Hindus.

But it also said that among Christians, six per cent said they were raised in the faith, while an extra one per cent said they now belonged to the religion.

Among Christians, 0.4 per cent were formerly Hindus, while 0.1 per cent Hindus were formerly Christians.

Most of the conversion to Christianity were in the South, which accounted for 74 per cent of the conversions, the report said.

It said that 84 per cent of Hindus and Sikhs considered religion very important in their lives, while 91 per cent of Muslims and 76 per cent of Christians said so.

Shiva was the manifestation of Hindu deity who was most popular as the one Hindus feel close to, it said.

Forty-four per cent of Hindus said that they felt close to Shiva, while 35 per cent said it was Hanuman, and Ganesha 32 per cent, Pew reported.

In Central India, however, 27 per cent said Ram was the divinity they felt close to, and in the North-East said it was Krishna, the report said.

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READ MORE-Kovind: Yoga not linked with any religion

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Bollywood Community Lite Blogs

Ayushmann unveils pride flag to bring awareness

Pride Month is observed in June to celebrate and raise awareness about the LGBTQ+ community…reports Asian Lite News.

‘Queer’ is getting more visibility in cinema in the modern era. Bollywood actor Ayushmann Khurrana, who played a gay man on-screen in “Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhaan”, wants to draw focus to the all-new Pride flag that has been unveiled aiming to make the movement more gender inclusive.

“I read about the intent with which the new design of the Pride flag has been unveiled and I wanted to bring attention to this important conversation. The new design by Intersex Equality Rights, UK, incorporates intersex people into the movement,” Ayushmann said.

He added: “I try and bring focus towards inclusivity as much as possible with my films and social media, and I do feel that people need to be aware of the intersex movement. As actors, we are fortunate that we can raise awareness to important issues and I’m trying to do my bit by speaking about Pride month.”

Pride Month is observed in June to celebrate and raise awareness about the LGBTQ+ community.

On the occasion, the symbolic rainbow flag has been redesigned to become more inclusive. The new flag incorporates intersex people into the LGBTQ+ movement, and was led by Valentino Vecchietti.

ALSO READ-Violence against LGBTI people increased during Covid: EU

READ MORE-Biden recognises LGBTQ Pride Month

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Kashmiri Mahfooz Illahi Hajam Climbs Mount Everest

26-year-old Kashmiri youth Mahfooz Illahi Hajam fulfills his dream of climbing mighty Mount Everest. Youths of Kashmir are chosing adventure sports to prove their mettle. Mountain climbing is one of the most adventurous sports which give an adrenaline rush like never before. Climbing Mount Everest is on the bucket list of many people. Never hesitate..Climb!

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Community Lite Blogs West Bengal

Bengal’s Santhals go back to their roots

The use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides directly impacted the health of farmers. Some Santalis claimed that their cattle had been falling sick and dying after eating the straw or drinking the water from local rice fields…reports Mani Mahesh Aurora…reports Mani Mahesh Aurora.

Rabindranath Tagore held the Santal tribes in special regard for their unique way of life in which they combined farming with poetry, music and dance. Spread all across rural West Bengal, the Santhals often own tiny pieces of land but largely work as daily wage labourers in rice fields.

With modern practices of rice farming draining their groundwater and making the community ill, this tribe in West Bengal is tapping into tradition to find more ‘peaceful’ ways of growing crops.

In one of their old traditional songs, ‘Har har dharti rima baha bagan; Baha bagan rima hunar Baha’, the Santhalis celebrate the green earth teeming with incredible diversity. But with the widespread adoption of modern agricultural practices, often wasteful and harmful, much of this biodiversity got lost.

In the Birbhum district, many Santhals who still forage their food have observed the disappearance of burrowing animals as well as herbaceous plants, especially in and around the rice field ecosystems. Today the Santals in Bolpur are attempting to turn back the clock; banking on traditional wisdom, with some modern scientific ideas, to reclaim some of what has been lost.

Baha parab is festival of santhal people.

The challenge came in the form of rice cultivation ushered in with the Green Revolution, which accentuated excessive use of groundwater, chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and has led to degradation of soil biodiversity over the years. The new varieties of rice, with its shorter and weaker stalks, can’t even be used as thatching or cattle fodder.

The use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides directly impacted the health of farmers. Some Santalis claimed that their cattle had been falling sick and dying after eating the straw or drinking the water from local rice fields.

Recognising the perils of conventional rice farming, a women-led group integrated native wisdom with permaculture for a sustainable economic alternative to the way agriculture and forestry are being practised. Permaculture is the development of agricultural ecosystems intended to be sustainable and self-sufficient. The group from Khanjanpur village of Bolpur has transformed a plot of land measuring slightly less than an acre that was rendered dry with cracked soil and transformed it into a lush green ecosystem.

Their success inspired many villagers to shift to natural farming of native rice varieties that not only preserves groundwater but saves them and their future generations from having to wade through chemical-laden water in order to ensure higher yields.

Over-exploitation of groundwater

Agriculture, the way it is practised in India, is one of the major reasons for rapid groundwater depletion according to a 2016 report on groundwater status in West Bengal. Another report on water-intensive Boro rice cultivation also confirms this fact.

Recognising this, Sharmishtha Dattagupta, a former Geobiology professor from the University of Gettingen, introduced permaculture techniques to the Santhali women with the support of an Israeli permaculture consultant.

“Rice planting in the region was previously done in rhythm with nature using rainwater during monsoon. But now even policymakers promote, and governments incentivise groundwater extraction and the use of hybrid varieties of rice that can be planted in the dry winter season,” says Sharmishtha. Since the rice field needs to be flooded with water, villagers sink tube wells that draw water from up to a depth of 80 metres. This groundwater takes several years to recharge.

“Deeper underground water is rich in salts. When used in rice farming, it quickly evaporates and makes the soil salty, damaging it. Overexposure of this topsoil to direct sun as well as ploughing with tractors is devastating as it kills all bacteria, fungus, and earthworms, which play an important role in the soil ecosystem. Basically, we kill the soil ecosystem and then treat it with fertilizers and pesticides to grow food,” she adds.

(The author is a Dehradun-based freelance journalist and a member of 101Reporters.com, a pan-India network of grassroots reporters.)

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Community Lite Blogs USA

Colourful Pride events in US cities

Those protests are now commemorated in the city’s annual Pride Week celebration, one of New York’s most beloved festivals and with time, it has evolved way beyond its party-hard reputation of previous decades…writes Siddhi Jain.

Queer groups have gained much more acceptance in society since they started to raise their voice against discrimination. June is marked as the LGBTQ Pride Month, usually celebrated with street festivals, events and parties. Majority of the Pride events in the USA take place in June and July to commemorate the 1969 Stonewall Uprising which mostly happen on the same weekends. So, whether you’re a member of the LGBTQ community or an ally, here’s all you need to know about how Pride events are celebrated in five key US cities to experience the colorful affair to the fullest.

San Francisco, California
Long considered as one of the most LGBT-friendly cities in the U.S., San Francisco is nicknamed ‘the gay capital of the world’ and is home to one of the largest and most prominent LGBT communities in the country. There are rainbow-clad streets, gay-friendly districts, and some of the most prominent LGBT festivals and celebrations take place here. And if there’s any gay pride event in the U.S. you surely need to attend, it’s the San Francisco Pride. It takes place in June’s latter half and draws over a million people.

While there will be no big Pride parade and celebration event in downtown San Francisco this year, you can still expect a mix of in-person gatherings and online events as people around the Bay Area celebrate Pride. San Francisco’s Pride celebration embodies the freedom of expression, human rights and love; all things that the California city is known for embracing.

New York City, New York
Every June, the streets of New York are transformed into a blitz of rainbow flags, bared skin, and joyous dancing. While at first glance it might look like just a typical New York City Street party, NYC Pride’s roots are steeped deeper in history. The modern gay rights movement began here in 1969, when riots followed a police raid at the Stonewall Inn, an LGBTQ bar. Those protests are now commemorated in the city’s annual Pride Week celebration, one of New York’s most beloved festivals and with time, it has evolved way beyond its party-hard reputation of previous decades. The late June event includes a rally and parade, with more than 350 contingents marching through Manhattan.

This year, The NYC Pride March will take place virtually on June 27 with Grand Marshals Wilson Cruz from Star Trek: Discovery and activist Ceyenne Doroshow leading the event that includes live performances and street side activities. The Rally on June 25 will host a number of speakers in an online forum. There’s also a human rights conference and a Black Queer town hall.

Denver, Colorado
Famed for its mountains, craft-beer, legal marijuana, and hunky bearded men, Denver is also a magnet for LGBTQ+ people all over the ‘Wild West’. While the gorgeous Rocky Mountains are right on the doorstep, you can also find a diverse selection of gay bars, clubs, and bathhouses alongside plenty of art, culture and growing culinary scene.

Denver, Colorado’s PrideFest celebration, which takes place in mid-June is the most family-friendly gay pride event in the US. It has been growing in recent years, drawing more than 350,000 people. The festivities include parties, concerts, a parade, a 5-kilometer walk/run and activities like face painting for kids. Denver is also a dog-loving city, and the ‘Dogs in Drag parade’ is one of the most popular event of PrideFest. To keep the community safe and healthy during the Covid-19, the Denver Pride Parade is going virtual again for the 2021 Coors Light Virtual Denver Pride Parade.

Charleston, South Carolina
It is a charming city full of colourful architecture, oak-shaded plazas, and history aplenty plus tranquil beaches, making it a winning choice for Pride festivities. Charleston Pride Fest is a party like no other. It is one of the later pride events in the USA, taking place each year in September. It is the perfect excuse for an end of summer escape with great weather and a charming welcome. Charleston Pride Festival is held over 7 days with a series of rainbow studded events culminating in a final weekend pride festival and parade.

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