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Back Together In-Person, Pride Season Is Upon Us! by Clark Simon (he/him) Charlotte Pride President
April’s showers bring May’s flowers — and, gee, aren’t they so colorful?! With the return of Spring comes a whole new season of Pride celebrations across the Carolinas. And, finally, after two years of virtual, socially-distanced, and small-scale events, Pride groups across our region, including us here at Charlotte Pride, are excitedly gearing up for the return of full-scale, in-person festivals, marches, parades, and other special events! Pride Month has traditionally been in June, ever since community members decided to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall Riots in June 1969. But that hasn’t stopped Pride groups from spreading the rainbow joy throughout the year. In cities and towns across the world, Pride events are celebrated in unique ways and in sometimes unexpected months. In the Carolinas, our Pride season generally runs from May through October. In places like Florida — especially South Florida, with its more mild winter climates and scorching summers — you’re more likely to find cities celebrating their Pride events from January through May, with some in the fall. Charlotte celebrates our festival and parade in August — the result of a rather boring confluence of happenstance and scheduling. A few years ago, WFAE’s FAQ City podcast did an episode asking just this question: Why August? If you’re curious, check it out here: bit.ly/cltpridewfae. We think it’s pretty cool how our local Pride scheduling has shaped up over the years. In June, the community can come together in a variety of unique ways to celebrate National Pride Month. Local nonprofits create their own events and host their own special fundraisers. LGBTQ-owned and friendly businesses have an opportunity to celebrate and give back in their own unique way, too. Come June 30, Pride doesn’t end here. It’s just the beginning! In July, the celebration continues as our friends at Charlotte Black Pride host their events. Charlotte
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Qnotes
May 13 -May 26, 2022
Black Pride Week is traditionally in mid-July, this year running July 17-24. Learn more and get involved with Charlotte Black Pride by visiting them at charlotteblackpride.org. As Charlotte Black Pride winds down each July, the community continues its Pride celebrations for a third month! This year’s Charlotte Pride Festival and Parade is scheduled for Aug. 20-21 in Uptown! The big weekend itself is preceded by Charlotte Pride Week, Aug. 12-19, packed full of fun events and activities planned by our local partners, other nonprofits, bars, and other businesses. The Sunday before the festival and parade, we host our annual Charlotte Pride Interfaith Service, scheduled this year for Sunday, Aug. 14, and hosted by St. Luke Missionary Baptist Church. We have big plans for this year’s festival and parade when we can finally join the hundreds of thousands of smiling revelers on the streets of Uptown again! You can learn more now about involvement opportunities on our website at charlottepride.org/ pride22. There you can submit applications for vendor/ exhibitor spaces and parade entries, as well as make nominations for our annual Champions of Pride Awards and Parade Grand Marshals, apply to compete in the annual Charlotte Pride Pageant, submit community events to be featured in Charlotte Pride Week, and submit your interest in performing on one of our stages or other entertainment activations! And, when August finally passes, don’t let your Pride fade away! Celebrate with events in places like Columbia or Durham, traditionally hosted in the fall! Beyond attending Pride events, put your Pride to work by being active in your community. We don’t think Pride is a single, once-annual weekend event. Pride is service, solidarity, and support. There are all sorts of ways you can give back throughout the year, whether that be by directly donating your time, talents or money to Pride groups or other local LGBTQ nonprofits, by voting, actively volunteering for community service projects, and so much more! Celebrate your Pride 365 days of the year!
White House Names LGBTQ Press Secretary Jean-Pierre worked for Obama administration
BY BIL BROWNING | CONTRIBUTING WRITER
K
arine Jean-Pierre, an out lesbian, has Secretary under Jen Psaki. Jean-Pierre will been named the next White House replace Psaki, who had announced she Press Secretary. Jean-Pierre will be the would vacate the role after a year in the first out LGBTQ person and the first Black position for a job with MSNBC. Her last day person to hold the office. will be May 13. Originally from the French West Indies Jean-Pierre led the White House’s parisland of Martinique, Jean-Pierre was ticipation in Spirit Day last year and said raised in New York City and attended gradit was significant to her because “I could uate school at Columbia University. She only hope that young people who might started her career in politics working for be watching or see clips of this briefing the John will know Edwards that they campaign are supin 2004 ported and and later repreworked sented in for Barack the highest Obama’s levels of 2008 and govern2012 camment paigns. today.” During “Karine Obama’s Jeanfirst Pierre is term, she a brilliant worked in communithe White cator and House person of Office of tremenPolitical dous intelAffairs, a ligence, position humor Jean-Pierre and poise, said was skills that important will serve to her as a her and lesbian. our coun“What’s Karine Jean-Pierre is the first lesbian and black woman to serve try well in been as White House Press Secretary.. (Photo Credit: Facebook) her new wonderrole. There ful is that are few I was not jobs more visible or more important to the only; I was one of many,” she told The our democracy than to share information Advocate in 2011. “President Obama didn’t with the White House press corps and hire LGBT staffers, he hired experienced answer their questions,” GLAAD President individuals who happen to be LGBT.” and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said after the “Serving and working for President Obama news of the promotion surfaced. where you can be openly gay has been an “To have an out queer person of color amazing honor. It felt incredible to be a speak for the President of the United part of an administration that prioritizes States says everything about Karine’s talLGBT issues.” ent and heart, and recognizes that LGBTQ Outside of her work with political campeople can belong, contribute and succeed paigns and the government, she was the national spokesperson for the progressive in every room.” Ellis continued. Our whole organization MoveOn in 2016, a commencommunity looks forward to seeing Karine tator for NBC News and MSNBC, and a deliver for our nation and represent every lecturer at Columbia University. LGBTQ person with pride.” She was the first gay woman and only Psaki also praised Jean-Pierre on Twitter in the second Black woman to lead a White a lengthy thread. House press briefing in the James S. Brady “She is passionate. She is smart and Briefing Room when she led the briefing she has a moral core that makes her not last year. just a great colleague, but an amazing During the 2020 presidential campaign, Mom and human. Plus, she has a great Jean-Pierre served as Kamala Harris’s chief sense of humor,” Psaki tweeted. of staff, making her the first Black person to “I can’t wait to see her shine as she serve as chief of staff to a vice-presidential brings her own style, brilliance and grace candidate and one of the highest-ranking to the podium.” LGBTQ people in the Biden/Harris campaign. This article appears courtesy of our She currently serves as Deputy Press media partner LGBTQ Nation. : :
