GUIDE to PRIDE
Gay-Friendly Fun
In need of more queer friends and activities ? The following groups have them in spades .
QUEER HIKES
IN APRIL 2021 , MEL THIBEAULT made the first post on her shiny new Instagram page . “ Welcome to R . I . Queer Hikes !” she wrote . “ I ’ m tentatively thinking the morning of Saturday , May 8 , could be our first outing . Sound off in the comments or DM with your thoughts , suggestions , questions or concerns . Excited to get this going and get exploring !”
Three years , 178 posts and 3,612 followers later , Queer Hikes has three dedicated volunteers helping to run the show .
Members host hikes across New England , collaborating with groups like Outhounds Adventure , the Massachusetts and Rhode Island Audubon societies , the Buzzards Bay Coalition and local land trusts , says Queer Hikes volunteer Elliot Henderson .
Thibeault has since stepped away , but volunteers like Henderson have trekked on , planning and leading hikes every month . All the hikes are organized on Instagram , with details and registration links . Each hike is rated by the group ’ s trusty mascot , Bandit the raccoon . They range from one Bandit — an “ accessible ” adventure — to four Bandits : “ Are we there yet ?”
Upcoming summer hikes include a vernal pool walk , a birdwatching stroll and a monarch butterfly trek , as well as special events to celebrate Pride month and engage members of the queer community with the great outdoors . instagram . com / queer . hikes — Abbie Chipps
PLANETA
Planeta is an uplifting , BIPOC-forward , queer dance party centered around good music , joy and community building . Each month , partygoers are encouraged to don their proudest and loudest garb , with past themes including “ Space Tropical ,” “ Fruity Blooming Wig Party ” and “ Eighties Prom .” The location varies , but a portion of ticket proceeds goes toward helping folks in the community . instagram . com / planetapvd
QUEERS , BEERS and BEYOND
STOP BY MONIKER BREWERY in Providence any Monday night , and you ’ re likely to find at least sixty happy patrons overflowing the back patio of the West Fountain Street hangout .
It ’ s not just that the beer is good , though it ’ s certainly a draw at this West End staple . Moniker Brewery is also the home base for Queers and Beers of Rhode Island , an LGBTQ + meetup group that gathers over lagers and IPAs .
“ It ’ s basically like the experience of going to Pride , except we do it every week ,” says Shannon Curley , the group ’ s co-founder .
In addition to weekly meetups — deemed “ Monny Mondays ” — the group also hosts monthly gatherings at a rotating slate of local breweries and distilleries . Participants come from both across the state and across the LGBTQ + spectrum , and the group welcomes drinkers and nondrinkers ( and pups !) alike .
Queers and Beers also has several offshoots : Thorn Golden ’ s Queers Who Climb group inspires the active to try their hands at bouldering
64 RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY l JUNE 2024