For all its chaos and tragedies, Grey’s Anatomy has always been a show ultimately about love — whether it’s shared between doctors and medicine, “dark and twisty” soul sisters, friends and their chosen families, or deeply connected couples. And since its earliest days, the series has celebrated all forms of LGBTQ+ love, which is why a Grey’s-themed Pride party couldn’t be more fitting.
From Calzona-themed drinks to a playlist full of the show’s biggest queer hits, the tips on our list below will help you throw an unforgettable event. Your fellow Grey’s Anatomy superfans will likely be most appreciative of the details, but rest assured, even a total newbie will enjoy themselves at a party that’s this perfectly planned. Because, really, what’s a better combination than queer pride and must-see TV?
The invite
For a unique and fun way to let guests know about the event, you could adapt a suggestion from our story on throwing a Grey’s Anatomy finale watch party and turn the invite into a patient-intake hospital form. The “reason for visit” could be to celebrate Pride Month, and the “symptoms” could include cheeky things like “kissing fellow girls/boys” or “being really, really gay.”
You could decorate the invite with photos of characters from Grey’s or even design it all on a Post-it note like the iconic one Meredith and Derek used for their vows. And for the dress code, you could ask guests to wear classic Pride hues like rainbow and neon or have them come in Grey’s-themed clothes, such as scrubs. Bonus points if they incorporate both via fits like this rainbow “Pick me, choose me, love me” Grey’s Anatomy sweatshirt.
The food and drinks
One of the easiest ways to work Grey’s into a Pride menu is to name items after the show’s LGBTQ+ characters and ship names. There could be a #Calzona cocktail, for instance, or a #Schmico salad. But if you want to go deeper, you could incorporate the actual food featured in some major queer Grey’s Anatomy scenes, such as mac-and-cheese cupcakes (which Callie and Arizona ate when they tried to rekindle their romance post-plane crash in season nine) and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (which Kai offered Amelia after they had sex in season 18).
You could also serve punny foods like calzones (duh), Teddy Grahams (for Teddy Altman), or banana Schmitts (get it?). And if your crush or romantic interest is attending, make sure you offer them drinks in this on-theme “You’re my person” rainbow Pride mug.
The decor
Depending on how much effort you want to put in, there are a number of fun Grey’s– and Pride-themed decorations you could try out. You could create a makeshift photo booth that resembles the elevator that’s home to several of the show’s queer love scenes, install beautiful pink and purple drapes to resemble the Calzona wedding backdrop, or tack some trees and “big green blobs” onto the walls as a callout to Erica Hahn’s famous season five speech.
Want to keep things super-simple? Just set out these cardboard cutouts of Grey’s Anatomy’s most famous queer couple, and call it a day.
The activities
If most of your guests are big fans of Grey’s Anatomy, we recommend playing a couple rounds of trivia with questions about the show’s LGBTQ+ characters and famous scenes. Otherwise, you could all have fun doing some easy themed crafts together, like making friendship bracelets featuring queer Grey’s Anatomy ship names or bedazzling sunglasses in honor of Hahn.
If the vibe gets too quiet for your liking, turn up the music, and break out into a dance party! Your playlist could include queer artists featured in Grey’s Anatomy episodes, such as Tegan and Sara and Brandi Carlile, as well as songs that soundtracked memorable LGBTQ+ moments on the show, such as “Chasing Cars” (used when Amelia and Kai got together) and “Change Your Mind” (used when Levi and Nico hooked up in the ambulance).
The party favors
We have zero doubt that your Pride party will leave your guests full and happy, but why not also leave them with a little party favor to take home, like a rainbow Grey’s Anatomy sticker? They can place it on their cars, water bottles, laptops, or any other surface that could use a colorful spark. Whenever they look at it, they’ll be sure to think fondly of both their favorite Shondaland show and their loving LGBTQ+ community. Happy Pride!F