Pride season is upon us. The weather is getting warmer, the rains will finally die down soon and cities all over the world are gearing up for their annual LGBT pride events. From Bangkok to Buffalo, almost every major city showcases the LGBT community, giving a much needed opportunity to party.

The first LGBT Pride festival was in New York City on the last Saturday of June, 1970, commemorating the Stonewall Riots that occurred on the same weekend the year before. It marked the beginning of the modern LGBT rights movement. The march, comprised of grassroots organizations and individuals, tried to show that LGBT people are just like everyone else, and an integral part of the community. As the nature of what it means to be an LGBT person has changed in the last 41 years, so Pride celebrations have evolved. Shifting ideologies and significant financial support from corporate sponsors have transformed Pride from a minority-specific event in one city to a worldwide phenomenon.

Shanghai Pride started off in 2009 as an undeniable success, creating headlines worldwide as the first event of its scale catering to the LGBT community on the Chinese Mainland. In its second year the festivities had to be delayed so as not to draw attention away from the the Expo. However, celebrations went ahead and we even upgraded to a posh Bund location for the closing party.

While this year’s Shanghai Pride is far enough off that the exact date hasn’t even been set (we’ve been told “MAYBE September.”), the capital’s Jing Pride is right around the corner on July 23. So as Shanghai’s organizers are busy arranging sponsorship, venues and events to make this year the best yet, the Shanghai LGBT group is planning an expedition up north to help celebrate. Jing Pride, which started last year as a one-day event in the capital to celebrate their true colors. This year’s celebration has expanded to a full week from July 23 to 30 and features a mix of cultural and social events.

The official website for the event in the capital is www.jingpride.com. You can sign up to receive updates and get news about venue shifts or cancellations–sadly always a possibility.

Not all the details are finalized for our trip, so sign up to our yahoo group to get all the most up-to-date information on this trip, our Pride and the myriad other LGBT events going on around Shanghai.