LIFESTYLE
Meet Your 2020 Nashville
Pride Board Matthew Gann (Past President) Harvey Milk once said that “Hope Will Never Be Silent.“ Nashville Pride to me is about being loud - not necessarily in the sense of volume but in action and involvement. Like many kids, I struggled with my sexuality growing up. I started volunteering with Nashville to ensure young folks, especially in rural areas around Nashville, know they have a voice, that their voice matters, and that there is a safe space for them to celebrate that voice.
me to grow the mission of the organization’s great work. As a person of color, attending events and seeing people who look like oneself with many of the same shared experiences, contributes to building stronger, healthier LGBT communities and is an effective way to combat homophobia and stigma in the Black community along with overcoming the cultural, communal and institutional barriers created by isms and phobias. I am PROUD to be a board member of Nashville Pride.
Pam Kelner I originally started going to Pride 10 years ago to speak with people who wanted to learn about adopting through Jewish Family Service. Now, as a Board Member of Pride, I specifically chose to run the Kids Zone. Year after year, I get to see those families that we helped to form through adoption and love seeing how the kids have grown every year! Vic Sorrell In addition to the opportunity to learn through serving alongside some of the brightest LGBTQ+ folks in the southeast, I wanted to participate as a Board member of Nashville Pride because members have the unique role of being faces from the LGBT+ community for our Nashville family at large, fostering the collaborative spirit that enables true inclusivity.
David McMurry Joining the Nashville Pride Board was the gateway to a greater local LGBT community experience. This opportunity allowed 10
June 2020
I also love seeing teens in the Youth area, creating their own space to be who they are freely and in a safe space. The number of teens that come to Pride over the past couple of years has grown exponentially. It is great to see!
Paula Foster (President) I “came out” in November of 1990. Over the past 30 years, I’ve never missed a Pride celebration. I find rejuvenation in the mass of LGBTQIA+ humanity at our annual Pride festival and being part of making it happen is the least I can do for my community. I love working with the other members of the Pride board and seeing the creativity and passion they each have for the
o u t a n d a b o u t n a s hv i l l e .c o m
LGBTQIA+ community in Nashville and the surrounding Middle Tennessee region. I believe that it is vitally important to recognize both the struggles and the victories of our community and being part of the Pride Board of Directors gives me the opportunity to lend my voice to our celebration and our fight for justice. I will never forget the first Pride parade I attended and the feeling of belonging and joy I experienced and I want others to feel the same. Being able to help create and plan our annual Pride festival brings me a deep and abiding sense of happiness. I am humbled and grateful for the opportunity to serve my community.
Amber Bryant For me, it is such a unique bond with Nashville Pride. There is nothing like feeling the energy, love, and hope all around you. I went from a spectator at my first in Centennial Park to a drag entertainer/host in the upcoming years. I have seen the festival grow from Centennial to the Riverfront and now to Public Square Park. I even had the honor and privilege to serve as Mister Nashville Pride 2016. Being a part of this all has opened my heart and eyes to so much within our LGBTQ+ community and beyond. Seeing what work has been done, the progress made, and knowing what work is still to be done has all pushed me to go beyond the stage and see what work I can put forth. Together, in Pride, we shall win this fight for our self-affirmation, dignity, equality, and increased visibility
