ST. GEORGE — A new interactive activity that features 10 stories from LGBTQ-plus people in the community will cap off Pride Month in Southern Utah at a festival this Saturday.
Pride in the Park will run from 10 a.m.-8 p.m., at the Crosby Confluence Park in St. George on Saturday, Sept. 30. The day features entertainment, music, food, vendors and food trucks. There will be a free yoga session and booths throughout the day. Foreign Figures will perform a free concert.
Katie Methe, director of Pride of Southern Utah, told St. George News the group chose to focus on stories this year that connect all types of people.
“Our stories connect us. They create emotional connection and provide a deeper understanding of each individual’s unique lived experiences,” Methe said. “We truly believe that the key to acceptance is understanding. And the key to understanding is to tell our stories. Stories also help us feel less alone. They make us feel seen, heard and validated.”
Methe added that stories have a way of being relatable and helping people understand their motivations and passions.
“It’s a really nice way to try and relate to somebody that you might not otherwise relate to,” Methe said.
Methe added the organization is working closely with local higher education institutions to explore a prominent “Stories” project that will be archived and become a part of the historical record this year.
Methe said the public is welcome to attend this weekend’s and all Pride events throughout the year.
“Those events are there for everyone. We are celebrating creating a safe, inclusive space for our community,” Methe said. “But anyone who wants to come is welcome as we have a lot of allies and other members of the community that also don’t necessarily identify as LGBTQ.”
Another first for this event, Methe said, is including the Parasol Patrol, a nonprofit group formed to help shield children’s eyes and ears from hateful speech from protesters.
“The Parasol Patrol helps create a safe and nonconfrontational barrier between festival attendees and any protesters that may arrive,” Methe said. “Your help allows our event to be a safe and positive experience for everyone.”
The Parasol Patrol travels to fairly conservative areas where heavy protester influence events may occur. Methe said their volunteers block or cover protesters with rainbow umbrellas to create safer spaces for people entering any type of event.
“We made contact with the Parasol Patrol and they felt really excited to come out to Southern Utah,” Methe said.
Methe said they are excited about the evening concert featuring frontman EJ Michaels, who was recently featured on “The Voice” television show and is a gay musician in the Salt Lake City area.
Methe added that Pride Month is a great way to help people inside the LGBTQ-plus community recognize they’re not alone.
“There’s a huge community here that exists,” Methe said.
Another group supporting Pride Month is the Seniors Out and Proud. Deb Hall, executive director of Seniors Out and Proud, said older LGBTQ-plus community members would benefit from attending these events.
“LGBTQ seniors are about 4 times more likely to be aging alone and 2 times more likely that they’ve never had a family,” Hall said. “So we’ve never had children or grandchildren, so because of this, and historical discrimination and not being able to be partnered and forced to be in the closet for much of their lives. They’re lonely. Now they’re in their aging years and they’re lonely. There’s a lot of social isolation and those actually things increase the risk for cognitive decline.”
The Seniors Out and Proud organization provides services for seniors, such as helping them find a room to rent. There are also activities throughout the year for those interested.
Find more information about this group on this website.
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