The 2020 Tucson Pride Parade and Festival is going virtual with in-person activities canceled.
The all-day event, planned for Oct. 24 in honor of National Coming Out month, is in the process of being retooled to follow COVID-19 recommendations from local, state and national officials, a news release said.
The Tucson Pride Virtual Festival will feature performances, panels and highlights from local LGBTQ history. It will be hosted by Tucson Pride's 2019 royalty Lucinda Holliday and Justin Deeper-Love.
Organizers of Tucson Pride were hopeful that the 2020 festival would establish funding to expand its programming, but the pandemic has hampered those efforts.
Programs Tucson Pride plans to launch this year include the Tucson Pride Scholarship, Tucson Pride Veterans Project, a community crisis hotline and virtual programming to keep the community connected during the pandemic, the organization said on its website.
More details on the virtual Pride event are expected in the coming weeks.
"Now, more than ever, it is crucial our community stands together," the Tucson Pride news release said.
Anyone interested in participating, partnering or performing may email festival@tucsonpride.org.
The Tucson Lesbian and Gay Alliance, commonly known as Tucson Pride, is an all-volunteer nonprofit that produces and promotes cultural, educational and recreational events for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community in Tucson.
Go to tucsonpride.org for more information.
