Coronavirus

These Queer Events Have Been Canceled or Postponed Due to Coronavirus

Organizers are taking the risks associated with the COVID-19 pandemic seriously.
by 3/16/2020

The coronavirus continues to spread throughout the United States, as well as globally, threatening lives and livelihoods alike. Health experts are encouraging “social distancing,” which has resulted in events being canceled or postponed in a bid to help get the pandemic under control. The Centers for Disease Control has suggested the cancellation of all events with more than 50 attendees for the next eight weeks.

Here are just some of the many cancellations and postponements affecting the LGBTQ, and broader, community.

Broadway Postpones All Shows

Broadway shows canceled
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Broadway has postponed all shows through at least April 12. The move came after New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo banned gatherings of more than 500 people, with facilities with an occupancy of 500 or fewer reduced to a legal capacity by 50% mass occupancy. National touring shows have also been canceled in many states.

Live Nation and AEG Suspend Concerts

concert
Nutthaseth Vanchaichana / EyeEm

Live Nation and AEG, the two largest live-event companies in the world, have both suspended concerts through the month of March in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The companies signed a joint statement, along with talent agencies CAA, WME, Paradigm, and UTA, saying they had “come together to form a global task force to drive strategic support and unified direction ensuring precautionary efforts and ongoing protocol are in the best interest of artists, fans, staff, and the global community.”

L.A. Pride

LA Pride
Chelsea Guglielmino/Getty Images

L.A. Pride became one of the first events scheduled months away to have been postponed due to COVID-19. Organizers announced the news with a tweet noting they were assessing the situation and would provide more information when it becomes available concerning possibly rescheduling the 50th Anniversary L.A. Pride celebration.

Palm Beach Pride and Miami Beach Pride

Miami Beach Pride
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Both Miami Beach Pride and Palm Beach Pride have been called off as well, scheduled for March 28-29 and March 28-April 5, respectively. Some outdoor Miami Pride events were still on according to the group’s statement.

Pride of the Americas 2020

The Pride of the Americas 2020, another Pride event in Florida, which was to have its inaugural event next month, from April 12-26, is also canceled. The weeklong series of events was to take place throughout Broward County, and was organized by Pride Fort Lauderdale.

“This is obviously a disappointing blow to the entire Pride Fort Lauderdale team and our sponsors and partners,” said president Miik Martorell. “However, the safety of the public is always our utmost concern.”

The Black Party

The Black Party, which was scheduled for next month in New York City, has also been called off for now. A statement shared on Instagram can be found below.

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Rites XLI: The Black Party® PUNK RIOT “Dancing to Freedom,” postponed. Statement from Stephen Pevner below. We are living through extreme circumstances. Braced by the knowledge that social distancing helps prevent exposure to the novel coronavirus, our public lives are on hold. During this time, there are social service organizations that are set up to provide assistance. The Saint At Large team, who come together to produce our events, is hoping to be able to provide a supporting role to the neediest in our New York City LGBTQ+ community. We have a bank of over 200 volunteers, a tight knit staff and a group of industry friends that can be called upon to help: Whether it be setting up a phone bank, checking in on the elderly, running errands, please reach out to us via thesaint@saintatlarge.com. Never forget that we are stronger together. Right now we are embracing change, reinventing and responding to the extraordinary challenges ahead. Rites XLI, the 41st edition of The Black Party, is being postponed until Fall 2020 while Rites XLII is being scheduled for Spring 2021. In light of the uncertainty of the current climate, we would be most grateful for your patience as we firm up the exact dates to roll over the tremendous creative and financial investment made to bring you this long running tradition. Rest assured, your tickets will be transferable to either of these parties and refundable in the case of cancellation. For nearly forty years, The Saint At Large has believed in the power of ‘the dance’ and its defining influence on our tribe. We look forward to joining together again soon in celebration. The cover of the July 10, 1995 New Yorker magazine.

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The White Party and Dinah Shore Weekend

The White Party and the Dinah Shore Weekend, both of which were to be held in Palm Springs, California, have been rescheduled. The White Party is now set for the end of October and into early November. Organizer Jeffery Sanker shared a statement on Instagram, which follows.

Dinah Shore Weekend has been pushed back to September.

DragCon L.A.

DragCon L.A. was scheduled for May, but has been canceled due to coronavirus as well. Organizers cited “uncertainty” and “an abundance of caution” for the decision.

RuPaul’s DragCon L.A. Canceled Due to Coronavirus Outbreak

Drags & Dropkicks Vol. 4

Uncanny Attractions announced it was nixing its Wrestlmania weekend event Drags & Dropkicks Vol. 4. A statement follows.

GLAAD Media Awards

The GLAAD Media Awards in New York City and Los Angeles have been canceled. The organization hopes to reschedule but it is unclear if that will be possible at this point.

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Given GLAAD’s long-standing commitment to the safety of our members, sponsors, and guests, the #GLAADawards will no longer take place on March 19th in New York City. The team at GLAAD has been in communication with the City of New York and is following the latest recommendations from Governor Cuomo. We were planning to unveil a historic get-out-the-vote campaign at the event because everything is at stake for LGBTQ Americans this election year, and are hopeful that the program and GLAAD’s ongoing work to fight against anti-LGBTQ discrimination will continue to be supported and funded. Since the event is canceled, our advocacy work will experience a loss of funding and we encourage community members and allies to consider becoming a GLAAD member to ensure this work continues. Link in bio.

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GLAAD Media Awards in New York Canceled Over Coronavirus Concerns

Lesbians Who Tech

San Francisco’s Lesbians Who Tech event will now take place in August, following “many discussions with our partners, community members, and local health officials,” organizers shared on Twitter.

Off Sunset Festival

The Eagle L.A. has called off its Off Sunset Festival, which was to take place March 29. A statement follows.

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#Repost @eagle_la ・・・ Off Sunset Festival Postponement For Immediate release March 10,2020 RE: Off Sunset Festival 2020 Postponed Friends – you will not be surprised to learn that the Off Sunset Festival team has been closely monitoring public health officials' guidance regarding the novel coronavirus COVID-19. We know that, like us, you treasure the annual Off Sunset Festival as a celebration of our diverse and vibrant community. It’s been an opportunity to party alongside our friends and neighbors since 2013. Because we're so passionate about this event, and in full consideration of the risks that the spread of COVID-19 poses, we've made the very difficult decision to postpone The Off Sunset Festival this year. We understand that this will come as a great disappointment to many in our community – we're really sad about it too, trust us. But, we believe that this is the best way to keep everyone in our community safe and ensure our ability to continue to deliver a great event year after year. Stay tuned to our Facebook page and website for details on the rescheduling of the event for later this year. We look forward to seeing all of you to celebrate when this global crisis is over.

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Happy Birthday Doug

The Off-Broadway Show Happy Birthday Doug has canceled performances “out of an abundance of caution and concern for the safety and health of our audiences, cast, and crew,” but will have a special run in June.

LGBTQ Center in New York

New York City’s LGBT Center has canceled all events following guidance from Gov. Cuomo.

Elevation Mammoth

California’s Elevation Mammouth event has been pushed back to next year, with organizers evaluating the situation on an ongoing basis.

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Part 2… POSTPONE TO NEXT YEAR: Without doing anything, we will move your Elevation event tickets to be valid for Elevation Mammoth 2021 on March 17-21, 2021. We will also give you some kind of upgrade on your tickets or special event for those of you who stuck with us and committed to next year right now. I’ll figure out something fun. For your lodging for 2021, you will need to book new reservations. All of our host properties have moved to a 24 hour cancellation. Please email us at elevationgayski@gmail.com to let us know that you would like to have your lift tickets refunded. REFUND ON EVENT TICKETS: For those of you who are not able to make the Elevation Mammoth 2021 dates (please consider it though), we will send out instructions and a refund plan as soon as possible. Again, please be patient with us as we unwind the March event. POSSIBLE APRIL ELEVATION: We are exploring the possibility of doing an Elevation Mammoth 2020 on April 9-12, if the restrictions on gatherings under 1000 people change. This would be a somewhat smaller event, sort of a return to the early years of Elevation. More on this possibility soon.

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