ABOVE: Human By Orientation is a website created by TV network HBO to celebrate Pride season virtually with an exclusive series of performances. (Courtesy: HBO)
Television network HBO has launched a website dedicated to celebrating Pride Month, providing an online space to the LGBTQ+ community and showcasing queer artistry.
Human By Orientation was designed by HBO to provide “a safe space for the LGBTQIA+ community and allies to gather, recharge and celebrate [their] queerest, proudest selves.”
The site will feature a performance series, beginning June 18, of mainly LGBTQ+ artists such as Todrick Hall, Janelle Monae and Kim Petras.
Hall’s performance falls on June 19, a.k.a. “Juneteenth” – “the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States.” As a black artist himself, the significance of this intersection in the midst of a racially-charged social climate is abundantly clear to Hall.
“I am very excited to perform a one-of-a-kind set that not only celebrates Pride, but also lands on this hallowed day in the black community,” Hall said. “Especially now, it’s so important for black queer artists to have our voices heard. I’m so thankful to HBO for this platform.”
HBO also recognizes the historical intertwinement of LGBTQ+ and racial activism and stresses the importance of pledging solidarity to the black community.
“Pride originated as a protest, led by trans women of color, fighting for all LGBTQIA+ people,” the network said. “Black lives matter. Black trans lives matter. Black queer lives matter. As a community, we must stand in solidarity.”
The first performance from the series will be “Pride City Sounds: Los Angeles with Por Detroit X Ostbahnhof,” a collaboration between “two of LA’s most notorious warehouse parties … to showcase the city’s diverse community.” Users can access the content provided by Human By Orientation by signing up on their official website.
