• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, June 11, 2023

Take that, drag haters. Amid stepped-up attacks on drag performances and growing anti-LGBTQ rhetoric, H&M is the latest brand to look for novel ways to celebrate Pride.

The company staged the ticketed performance, with two hours of drag performances, at the Brooklyn Bowl, winning the official title of Most People Attending a Drag Brunch. The 412-person attendance beat the former record of 338.

Proceeds from the event went to the Marsha P. Johnson Institute, which supports Black trans people.

Drag queens Dragon Sisters, Vena Cava, Victoria Holiday, Serena Tea, Mo'Riah and Janelle No.5 all performed.

The Swedish-based retailer is also celebrating Pride by continuing the "My Chosen Family" campaign, which it introduced last year. That effort marks the critical role non-biological families play in the lives of the LGBTQ community and will appear in themed floats in this year's Pride parades in New York and Los Angeles. (H&M is an official sponsor.)

It's also featuring a collection of artwork from LGBTQIA+ artists at its stores in Brooklyn's trendy Williamsburg section. The installation includes a print-on-demand shop to let people create custom pieces featuring the artists.

While Pride events around the country are still happening, there is a growing sense of concern and heightened security measures. H&M cited the increasing number of threats against drag, with more than 160 protests and attacks since the beginning of 2022, according to GLAAD.

Those include the firebombing of a donut shop in Tulsa and an armed protest in San Antonio. In many cases, GLAAD says, members of extremist groups such as the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers have attended.

Meanwhile, Pride Live  keeps announcing performers and speakers for the upcoming Stonewall Day 2023 with corporate partners Google, Hudson Yards and Equinox Hotel NY.

Scheduled for June 23 at Hudson Yards in Manhattan, the event will includes headliner Christina Aguilera and performances from Johnny Manuel, Kellen Stancil, and BETTY.

Speakers include Chelsea Clinton, Alok Vaid-Menon, Raquel Willis, Dale Soules, Valentina Sampaio and Julie J. The event will live-stream on YouTube.

Pride Live also hopes to set some records and says its goal is to gather as large and diverse a crowd as possible. It's setting aside 200 tickets that will be donated to local LGBTQ+ youth groups.

Much of the event will focus on fundraising and awareness of the upcoming opening of the Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center, scheduled for June 28, 2024. The center commemorates the 1969 Stonewall Riots and will be the first LGBTQ+ visitor center within the National Park System.