Introduction
Organizing an LGBT event is not simply setting up a colourful party with rainbow flags. It's much more than that: it's an act of activism, a response to a social necessity. In a world still marked by discrimination, stereotypes, and violence against LGBTQIA+ people, every event is a precious opportunity to defend equal rights, strengthen visibility, and promote diversity and tolerance. The community wants (and must) to occupy public space, make its voices heard, share its experiences, and build bridges with the rest of society. Whether it's a pride march, a conference-debate, a queer festival, or a simple themed evening, every initiative counts.
Summary:
- Define the objectives of the event
- Choose the right format
- Finding a place
- Create a diverse and engaging program
- Mobilize inclusive partners and sponsors
- Communicate effectively
- Plan for inclusive logistics
- Evaluation
- FAQ
Define the objectives of the event
Awareness, celebration, or advocacy?
Before even thinking about the location or the budget, one must ask the central question: why this event? Is it to raise public awareness about the issues of homophobia and transphobia? To celebrate queer identities in a festive and liberating setting? To claim rights and put pressure on institutions? Maybe a bit of all that?
Each type of event will have its own codes, tone, and message. A conference-debate will focus on education, with expert speakers, testimonies, statistics, and calls to action. A drag show will prioritize celebration, creativity, aesthetics, and freedom of expression. A queer festival will combine both: moments of celebration and spaces for reflection.
Targeting the audience
Is it an event "by and for" the LGBTQIA+ community? Is it also aimed at allies, those non-LGBTQIA+ people who actively support the cause? Or is the aim to reach a broader audience, sometimes not very aware of gender and sexual orientation issues?
The targeted audience determines the communication choices, the language used, the level of pedagogy required, and the type of content to be offered. For example, if addressing LGBTQIA+ youth, one could offer workshops on coming out, discussion groups, or artistic performances centred on queer identities. If the target audience is institutional or corporate, we will prioritize conferences on workplace inclusion, anti-discrimination policies, or testimonials from committed leaders.
Choose the right format
In-person, virtual, or hybrid events
Today, thanks to technology, the possibilities are endless. We can organize an LGBT event in person, in a friendly venue decorated in the colors of the rainbow. We can also do it online, via streaming platforms, to reach a larger and more inclusive audience. Or mix the two with a hybrid format: a live-streamed conference, a drag show broadcast on social media, an interactive festival with Zoom workshops.
The choice of format must therefore be strategic. It depends on the budget, the target audience, the available partners, but also on the period (for example, during a pandemic or a time of significant political news). The ideal? Create a modular and accessible format for everyone, which combines proximity and massive dissemination.
Format ideas: pride marches, conferences-debates, queer festivals
There are countless formats to celebrate diversity and promote inclusion. Here are some inspiring ideas:
- The pride march: classic, festive, and militant. It brings together thousands of people around clear demands for equal rights.
- The conference-debate: educational and impactful. It allows for in-depth discussions on topics (coming out, trans identity, LGBTQIA+ parenting, etc.) with experts and witnesses.
- The queer festival: artistic and community-oriented. It offers concerts, screenings, workshops, exhibitions, performances.
- The themed evening: light but committed. One can imagine a "Rainbow Party," a quiz on LGBTQIA+ history, a drag contest, etc.
- The interactive exhibition: educational and immersive. It traces the history of struggles, showcases portraits of LGBTQIA+ personalities, and offers spaces for reflection.
Finding a place
The importance of the safe space
This means choosing a place that guarantees the physical, psychological, and emotional safety of the participants. We are talking about a "safe space," that is, an environment without judgement, harassment, or discrimination.
The place must clearly display its commitments. It can be a queer-friendly bar, a municipal hall open to diversity, a committed cultural centre, or even a well-supervised outdoor space. It is important to train the teams (volunteers, security, reception) in listening and managing inappropriate behaviours.
The simple fact of being able to enter a place where one feels recognized, respected, valued, is already a victory. It is the foundation for participants to express themselves, dance, testify, inform themselves, or simply exist in peace.
Accessibility for people with reduced mobility and respect for identity
Inclusion also involves accessibility. Too often, LGBTQIA+ events forget about people with disabilities. It is therefore necessary to provide wheelchair-accessible entrances, gender-neutral restrooms, sign language interpreters, braille or accessible digital materials, etc.
Similarly, respecting identities involves crucial details: using the correct pronouns, the possibility of wearing a badge with one's chosen name, the neutrality of restrooms, and displaying inclusive signage. These little attentions make all the difference.
Create a diverse and engaging program
Drag shows, testimonials, workshops, screenings
It is not enough to gather an audience; you must captivate them, move them, inform them, and involve them. For this, it is crucial to offer a varied program that touches both the emotions and the intellect, the individual and the collective.
Drag shows are a must-see. Spectacular, quirky, political, they blend art and performance to celebrate gender expression in all its glory. Drag queens and drag kings embody both humour and provocation, but also the resilience and creativity of the queer community. Their presence attracts a large audience, but it must be accompanied by a framework that respects their identities and their message.
The testimonies are also powerful. Offering a stage to those who have experienced family rejection, coming out, transition, and the fight for equality allows for touching hearts. It is the lived experience that gives birth to empathy and understanding. This can be done through open stages, live podcasts, or videos projected during the event.
Interactive workshops are the opportunity to take action. Inclusive writing workshops, voguing dance, self-defence, banner-making, badge-making... everything is good to allow participants to take ownership of the event's message.
Finally, films or documentaries on LGBTQIA+ struggles allow for reflection, foster thought, and spark debate. We can accompany them with debates, meetings with the directors, or readings of critiques.
Highlight committed artists and activist associations
An LGBTQIA+ event must be conceived as a platform. A platform for queer culture, for invisibilized voices, for marginalized talents, for collective demands. It is therefore essential to collaborate with artists, creators, activists, influencers who embody these values. This could be a queer pop concert, a trans poetry reading, a photo exhibition on lesbian couples, a performance on homophobic violence... Each work has a message, a significance, an impact.
We must also involve local and national associations. They are at the heart of the fight for human rights and know the field better than anyone. Giving them a booth, a platform, a slot to present their actions is to value their work, but also to offer the public concrete solutions to get involved. These associations can also host listening, support, and prevention spaces: HIV testing, distribution of documentation, psychological support, legal advice, etc.
Mobilize inclusive partners and sponsors
Finding sponsors
The organization of an event, whatever it may be, requires resources. Finding financial or logistical partners thus becomes a key issue. But beware: not all sponsors are created equal. In the context of an LGBT event, it is imperative to only associate with brands, companies, or institutions that are genuinely committed to inclusion.
This means rejecting opportunistic or purely marketing partnerships. "Pinkwashing" – the use of LGBTQIA+ symbols for commercial purposes – harms the credibility of the event.
Institutional partners can also be solicited: town halls, regions, ministries, health organizations, schools, or universities. Their support brings political legitimacy and facilitates access to venues, communication channels, or grants.
Communicate effectively
Use gender-neutral writing and representative visuals
Communication is the showcase of the event. It must reflect, from the very first visual, the values of diversity, inclusion, and respect for identity. It starts with the choice of words. Epicene writing (non-sexist, non-gendered) is essential to show that all gender identities are taken into account. We avoid default gendered language ("gays," "trans") to adopt formulations like "LGBTQIA+ people" or "concerned individuals."
The visuals must also represent the plurality of bodies, skin colours, ages, and gender expressions. Too often, campaigns focus solely on stereotypical models: young, white, cisgender, muscular. It is essential to show the true diversity of the queer community, with non-binary people, LGBTQIA+ seniors, racialised individuals, people with disabilities, etc.
Bet on social media
To reach a large audience, you need to go where they are: on social media. Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, LinkedIn… each platform has its usefulness. It is advisable to create a dedicated page for the event, use specific hashtags (#Pride2025, #SafeSpace, #QueerVisibility), and post regularly: video teasers, artist interviews, behind-the-scenes stories, participant testimonials.
But social media alone is not enough. It is just as important to collaborate with community media: queer radios, LGBTQIA+ magazines, specialised blogs. They offer an already aware, loyal, and curious audience.
And, don't neglect local communication: posters in queer venues, flyers in bars, ads in local newspapers, community word-of-mouth. That's often how people hear about the most impactful events.
Plan for inclusive logistics
Registration, ticketing, signage, digital accessibility
An LGBTQIA+ event must therefore be designed to be inclusive from the registration stage. This means:
- Forms allowing you to provide your chosen first name and pronouns
- Free or pay-what-you-can ticket options for low-income individuals
- Various payment methods (online, cash, by donations)
The signage must be clear, inclusive, and bilingual if possible. Use gender-neutral pictograms, signs indicating neutral restrooms, association booths, and quiet areas. Digital accessibility is also crucial: responsive website, audio or written content in Easy to Read and Understand (FALC), accessible versions for visually impaired individuals, and the presence of a technical team to assist participants during online events.
Evaluation
Collection of feedback, statistics, qualitative and quantitative indicators
Once the event is over, it is essential to measure its impact. This involves a structured evaluation:
- Number of participants
- Diversity of the audience (age, gender, origin)
- Interactions on social media
- Collected testimonies
- Number of donations collected or people screened
- Qualitative feedback (via form or QR code)
These data allow us to identify strengths and areas for improvement, to highlight the event to partners, and to build future editions that are even more inclusive and effective.
Conclusion
Organizing an LGBT event is not just checking a diversity box in a cultural agenda. It is a political, social, artistic, and profoundly human action. It's about creating a fairer, more beautiful, freer world, where everyone can live their truth, love without fear, and exist without a mask.
So, whether you are an experienced organizer or a motivated ally, go for it. Every drag show, every testimony, every conference, every pride march is another stone in the construction of a more inclusive world.
FAQ
How to obtain funding for an LGBT event?
Look for public grants (town halls, regions), engage inclusive sponsors, organise a crowdfunding campaign, or collaborate with associations that can pool their resources.
How to ensure that the event is truly inclusive?
Work with the people concerned at every stage, train your teams, use inclusive communication, and plan for safe and accessible spaces.
Can we organize an LGBT event in a small town or rural area?
Yes! It may require more pedagogy, but the need for visibility and safe spaces is often even more pressing. Virtual events can also be an option.
Do you have to be LGBTQIA+ to organize this type of event?
No, but it is imperative to do it with the community, and not in its place. Involve the people concerned in all decisions.
What are the practical tools to get started?
A retroplanning, a provisional budget, a guide to inclusive communication, a list of associative contacts, and a supportive team are the essential foundations.
⬇️ Would you like to learn more about setting up an all-in-one app for your LGBT event? ⬇️
