As Baltimore commemorates the 50th anniversary of Pride, and in the spirit of the enduring declaration “We Will Not Be Erased,” Baltimore Beat is honored to dedicate our upcoming Pride issue to the diverse experiences and perspectives of our city’s vibrant LGBTQIA+ community.

We invite you to share your reflections, stories, art, and insights on what Pride means to you this year. 

Submission Guidelines: Please note that due to space constraints, we will be selecting a limited number of contributing voices, for print and online. You will be notified via email if your submission is accepted, and will be contacted with next steps. 

We welcome submissions in various forms, including but not limited to:

Written pieces: Personal essays, poems, short stories, reflections (up to 250 words)

Visual art: Photography, illustrations, digital art, scans of physical artwork (please provide high-resolution images)

Other creative expressions: If you have a unique way of expressing your connection to Pride, please feel free to propose it!

Prompts For Reflection: 

Consider the prompts below as a guideline. As we celebrate the golden anniversary of Pride in Baltimore, we are particularly interested in publishing works that offer commentary on how celebrations of Pride have changed through the years in response to political climates, gentrification, and the shuttering of LGBTQ+ spaces in this city.  We will choose submissions that fully reflect the diverse experiences of LGBTQ+ existence, joy, resistance, and celebration in Baltimore City.

What does Pride mean to you personally in 2025, especially considering the 50th anniversary of Baltimore Pride and the theme of “50 Shades of Pride,” a testament to the LGBTQ+ community’s resilience and celebration over the past five decades?

Can you share a significant moment or experience that has affirmed your presence and resisted erasure within the context of Pride?

How has your relationship with Pride evolved over time?

What hopes or visions do you have for the future of Pride in Baltimore and beyond?

What does community mean to you within the context of Pride?

Are there specific aspects of Pride history or activism that resonate with you?

What message or feeling do you want to share with the Baltimore community through your submission?

What are some of your favorite memories of previous Pride celebrations in Baltimore? 

How to Submit:

Please send your submissions to submissions@baltimorebeat.com with the subject line Pride Submission – [Your Name] by Friday, May 30, 2025. 

For visual art, please include your name (if you wish to be credited) and a brief description of your work. For written pieces, please indicate your preferred name for publication.

Important Notes:

The deadline for all submissions is Friday, May 30, 2025.

Please note that while we encourage all members of Baltimore’s LGBTQIA+ community to submit their work, submission does not guarantee publication. 

All submissions will be reviewed by the Baltimore Beat editorial team, and selections will be made based on factors such as relevance to the theme, quality, and available space.

Baltimore Beat may also reach out to individuals with specific expertise or perspectives to contribute to this issue.

We encourage submissions from all members of Baltimore’s LGBTQIA+ community, representing the full spectrum of identities and experiences.

By submitting, you grant the Baltimore Beat the right to publish your work in our Pride issue and potentially on our website and social media platforms. 

You retain the copyright to your work.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us at submissions@baltimorebeat.com.

We eagerly await your creative contributions as we celebrate 50 years of Pride in Baltimore together. Your voices are essential to this commemoration.