LGBTQ Cancel and Postmark Gallery
Below are images of special cancels and postmarks known to us. The images are divided into two sections, first for pride events and celebrations, and second for LGBTQ personalities and miscellaneous. Note that official first day cancels for LGBTQ related stamps are not included here as they are readily available on various philatelic websites. Refer to the stamp gallery on this website for suggestions on stamps that have first day cancels.
Images of American special cancels appear in the U.S. Postal Service’s Postal Bulletin, provided event organizers and local post offices request them in sufficent time for publication, which is sometimes not the case. Please help make this compendium more comprehensive by sharing with us items that are not listed, especially those from the U.S. and Canada. Foreign special cancellations are welcome as well. To contribute, contact the Webmaster whose e-mail address appears on the “Contact Us” page of this website.
Available below is a checklist for the pride cancels cancels shown here.
Pride Cancels and Postmarks Checklist (Last revision date 03.15.2023)
LGBTQ PRIDE EVENTS AND CELEBRATIONS
Stockholm Gay Pride Week
August 20, 1983, Stockholm, Sweden.
The first known LGBT cancel.
Stockholm Gay Pride Week
August 16, 1986, Stockholm, Sweden.
The second known LGBT cancel.
20 Years Lesbian & Gay Pride
June 25, 1989, New York, NY.
The earliest known LGBT cancel from the U.S. Postal Service.
Avon Pride
June 11, 1991, Bristol, England.
The earliest known LGBT cancel from the United Kingdom.
Pridefest '92 & Pride March
June 28, 1992, Fort Lauderdale, FL
The first in a series of six cancels for Fort Lauderdale.
Pridefest '93
June 19, 1993, Hartford, CT.
The first of two cancels for Hartford, with GLHSC logo.
Twin Cities GBLT Pride
June 26-27, 1993, Minneapolis, MN.
The first of three cancels for Twin Cities Pride.
Pridefest '93 & Pride March
June 27, 1993, Fort Lauderdale, FL.
The second in a series of six cancels for Fort Lauderdale.
San Diego Pride
July 17, 1993, San Diego, CA.
The only cancel for San Diego.
New Jersey 3rd Annual Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Parade
June 5, 1994, Ashbury Park, NJ.
The only cancel for New Jersey.
Pridefest '94 & Pride March
June 5, 1994, Fort Lauderdale, FL.
The third in a series of six cancels for Fort Lauderdale.
Queens Lesbian and Gay Pride
June 5, 1994, Jackson Heights, NY.
The first in a series of seven cancels for Jackson Heights.
Gay Games IV & Cultural Festival
June 17-24, 1994, New York, NY
Games were held June 18-25, 1994.
Christopher Street Day
June 18, 1994, Berlin, Germany.
Christopher Street Day is the European equivalent of American Pride events.
Stonewall 25th Anniversary
June 26, 1994, New York, NY.
The only cancel for this event.
11th Annual Gay & Lesbian Square Dance Convention
July 1-2, 1994, Washington, DC.
The only cancel for this annual event.
International Association of Gay and Lesbian Pride Organizers meeting
October 9, 1994, Fort Lauderdale, FL.
The only cancel for this event.
Discover Pride Festival
June 2-3, 1995, Tempe, AZ.
The first of three cancels for Tempe.
Queens Lesbian & Gay Pride
June 4, 1995, Jackson Heights, NY.
The second in a series of seven cancels for Jackson Heights.
Pridefest '95
June 17, 1995, Hartford, CT.
The second of two cancels for Hartford.
Pridefest '95 & Pride March
June 24, 1995, Fort Lauderdale, FL.
The fourth in a series of six cancels for Fort Lauderdale.
Christopher Street West
June 25, 1996, Los Angeles, CA.
The only cancel for this event.
20th Womyn's Music Festival
August 8-?, 1996, Walhalla, MI.
The only known cancel from the festival, held from 1976-2015.
Arizona Central Pride
May 31-June 2, 1996, Tempe, AZ.
The second of three cancels for Tempe.
Queens Lesbian & Gay Pride
June 2, 1996, Jackson Heights, NY.
The third in a series of seven cancels for Jackson Heights.
Pride Day
June 9, 1996, Philadelphia, PA.
The only cancel for this event
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Pride
June 15, 1996, Portland, ME.
The only cancel for this event.
Pridefest '96 & Pride March
June 23, 1996, Fort Lauderdale, FL.
The fifth in a series of six cancels for Fort Lauderdale.
Outfest
October 6, 1996, Philadelphia, PA.
The only cancel for this event.
The Names Project AIDS Memorial Quilt,
October 11, 1996, Washington, DC.
This was the last time the quilt was displayed
in its entirety.
Arizona Central Pride
May 30-June 1, 1997, Tempe, AZ.
The third of three cancels for this event.
Queens Lesbian & Gay Pride
June 1, 1997, Jackson Heights, NY.
The fourth in a series of seven cancels for Jackson Heights.
Pridefest '97 & Pride Parade
June 15, 1997, Fort Lauderdale, FL.
The last in a series of six cancels for Fort Lauderdale.
Twin Cities Pride
June 28-29, 1997, Minneapolis, MN.
The second of three cancels for Minneapolis.
Origins of the Gay Movement in Italy
November 17, 1997, Rome, Italy.
The only cancel for this event.
Gay Alliance of Morris County 25th Anniversary
September 22, 1997, Morristown, NJ.
The only cancel for this event.
5th Annual Gay & Lesbian Business and Consumer Expo
April 25-26, 1998, New York, NY.
The first of three sporadic cancels for this event.
Queens Lesbian & Gay Pride
June 7, 1998, Jackson Heights, NY.
The fifth in a series of seven cancels for Jackson Heights.
Baltimore Pride '98
June 14, 1998, Baltimore, MD.
The first of four cancels for Baltimore.
Celebrating Pride and the Lavender Line
June 20, 1998, Syracuse, NY.
The first of three cancels for Syracuse.
Twin Cities Pride
June 27-28, 1998, Minneapolis, MN.
The last of three cancels for Minneapolis.
Queens Lesbian & Gay Pride
June 6, 1999, Jackson Heights, NY.
The sixth in a series of seven cancels for Jackson Heights.
LGBT Pride Festival
June 12, 1999, Baltimore, MD.
The second of four cancels for Baltimore.
LGBT Pride Festival
June 19, 1999, Syracuse, MD.
The second of three cancels for Syracuse.
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride
June 4, 2000, Jackson Heights, NY.
The seventh in a series of seven cancels for Jackson Heights
LGBT Pride Festival
June 10, 2000, Baltimore, MD./
The third of four cancels for Baltimore.
Capital Pride 2000
June 11, 2000, Washington, DC.
The first of two Capital Pride cancels.
Got Pride Festival
June 16, 2001, Syracuse, MD.
The third of three cancels for Syracuse.
LGBT Pride Festival
June 17, 2001, Baltimore, MD.
This last of four cancels for Baltimore.
Burlington Pride
June 14, 2003, Burlington, VT
The only cancel known for this event.
11th Annual Gay & Lesbian Business and Trade Expo
March 20, 2004, New York, NY.
The second of three sporadic cancels for this event.
Tuscan Pride
June 19, 2004, Grosetto, Italy
The only known cancel for this event.
LA/Valley Pride
October 9, 2005, Studio City, CA.
The only cancel known for this event.
14th Annual LGBT Expo
March 24, 2007, New York, NY.
The last of three sporadic cancels for this event;
the Expo was discontinued after 2017.
Copenhangen Pride
July 25 - August 2, 2009, Copenhagen, Denmark.
The 2nd World Outgames were held in conjunction
with Copenhagen Pride, July 25 through August 2, 2009. Date on this cancel, taken from a postcard, indicates the spray
cancel was in use for at least three weeks.
Pridefest
June 13, 2010 Milwaukee, WI.
The only cancel for this event.
Wilton Manors Stonewall Pride
June 15, 2019, Fort Lauderdale, FL.
The only special cancel noting the 50th anniversary of Stonewall.
Out at the Fair
July 14, 2019, Sacramento, CA.
One of a series of daily cancels during the 2019 California State Fair.
Great Britain Pride Month 2021
mid-June 2021 (spray cancel), various mail centers.
Out at the Fair
July 30, 2022, Sacramento, CA.
One of a series of daily cancels during the 2022 California State Fair.
Out at the Fair
July 15, 2023, Sacramento, CA.
One of a series of daily cancels during the 2023 California State Fair.
LGBTQ PERSONALITIES AND MISCELLANEOUS
200th Birth Anniversary of President James Buchanan
May 25, 1991, Harrisburg, PA.
Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben Death Bicentenary
August 27, 1994, Holland Patent, NY.
Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben Death Bicentenary
August 28, 1994, Remsen, NY.
Bessie Smith stamp
September 17, 1994, Chattanooga, TN.
Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben Death Bicentenary
November 28, 1994, River Edge, NJ.
This is the actual day of his death.
Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben Death Bicentenary
February 27, 1995, Steuben, ME.
Susan B. Anthony 75th Annivesary 19th Amendment Ratification
August 27, 1995, Rochester, NY.
James Dean stamp
June 24, 1996, various cities.
This cancel was available at 118 Warner Brothers Stores locations
The Art of Robert Indiana
September 14, 1999, Portland, ME.
Langston Hughes stamp
February 28, 2002, Allentown, PA.
Walt Whitman stamp
July 2, 2005, New York, NY.
Greta Garbo stamp
December 3, 2005, New York, NY.
Barbara Jordan stamp, First Day of Sale
September 16, 2011, Houston, TX.
Barbara Jordan stamp, Houston Stamp Show
September 16-18, 2011, Houston, TX.
Harvey Milk stamp, First Day of Sale
May 22, 2014, San Francisco, CA.
Harvey Milk stamp
June 24, 2014, West Hollywood, CA.
Sally Ride stamp
May 24, 2018, Suffern, NY
Billy Jean King Library Opening
September 21, 2019, Long Beach, CA.
