Vol. 128, No. 3
Thursday, June 21, 2018
NEWS
OPINION
SPORTS
HORSETOOTH-COLLEGE INTERSECTION CLOSES UNTIL NOVEMBER
PROGRESS TO BE MADE DURING JUNETEETH AND PRIDE
NCAA INITIATES BIG CHANGES FOR REDSHIRTING
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Thousands of people march down Colfax Avenue during the PrideFest Parade in Denver on June 17. The parade was part of Denver PrideFest, a weekend-long event to celebrate the LGBTQ community. PHOTO BY ASHLEY POTTS COLLEGIAN
Denver Pride celebrates growing LGBTQ community By Ashley Potts @ashleypotts09
LGBTQ pride was felt heavily in the Rocky Mountains this past weekend. Not only was Comic Con in town, but PrideFest threw a party at the same time, making downtown Denver the best place to spend a summer weekend. Denver PrideFest is one of the largest pride celebrations in the country, attracting about 40,000 people to Civic Center Park and the Downtown area.
The weekend-long event is a part of LGBTQ Pride Month, a celebration started in 1969 to celebrate the Stonewall riots, which led to the gay liberation movement and LGBTQ rights. PrideFest held events such as the Pride 5k and the Coors Light PrideFest Parade to celebrate Pride Month. The event also featured health and wellness booths, art pieces, entertainment on three stages and retail booths selling pridethemed products. PrideFest was hosted by the GLBT Center of Colorado,
an organization that aims to “engage, empower, enrich, and advance the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer community of Colorado,” according to their website. “I think (PrideFest) is important because it is a place where people gather to show their support for the LGBTQ+ community in one concentrated area,” said Sarah Kurtz, a CSU alumna who attended PrideFest. “It is a place where people can be their true authentic selves,
and it is a beautiful thing to see. Pride is a space to feel empowerment within yourself and within others around you.” Kurtz’s girlfriend, Annalise Placek, echoed similar thoughts. “I identify as a lesbian and I love to show how proud I am to be apart of a great community,” Placek said. “I think Pride is very important for individuals to have a chance to celebrate who they are at a judgmentfree festival.” Allies and non-members of the LGBTQ community were
also present to show their support. “I want to continuously express my support for the LGBTQ community not just through my words, but through my actions,” said Madison Wood, a friend of Kurtz and a straight ally. “For me, I want to always be a person that my LGBTQ loved ones can count on to provide an environment full of love and compassion, as well as act as a judgment-free support system.”
see PRIDE on page 14 >>