Enid Pride celebrates 10 years of Pride celebrations and community visibility
by Zoe Travers
Journalism Intern
The Enid Pride team is excited about Pride being in a prominent location and increasing LGBTQ+ visibility and awareness in their city.
“Visibility is vital to progress,” Enid Pride Co-director, Lisa Herald, said. “People are more likely to understand and accept when they see LGBTQ people as a visible part of society. It also serves to give hope to those in the community who struggle to find acceptance.”
The 10th annual Enid Pride celebration will be held in a different location this year. It will be in downtown Enid on the Garfield County Courthouse lawn September 21 from noon till 5 p.m.
The event started as and had remained, a family-friendly event with the focus of inclusion and unity to educate the public and work with local businesses to build positive relationships in the community.
Jessa Lynni, Director of the LGBT Teen and Young Adult Support Group, and Enid Pride planning committee member said Pride festivals serve as a reminder that it’s okay to be who you are.
“We need Pride to inspire and support those who are just coming into themselves, those who have waited 20 years to come out, and those who are still afraid to share who they are,” Lynni said. “We need Pride to remind us we are worthwhile individuals and that our sexual orientation does not in any way take away from our value as people.”
When Enid Pride was created, there weren’t any small-town Pride Events, and people would have to go to events in OKC or Tulsa to attend Pride, which especially difficult for young people.
Lynni said it’s important to have a Pride celebration in Enid because many queer youths in the community experience discrimination and bullying.
“They need something to bring them hope that things will get better, and one day they won’t have to endure the bullying anymore. The hope that one day they will feel safe in their community everywhere that they go,” Lynni said.
Julian Pendergraft, Enid Pride co-director, said Pride is important to him because of his upbringing in foster care and religious environments in which he felt like he couldn’t express himself.
“If we could show youth there is a community for them, we are out and proud and make just a fraction of a difference in their lives, then that’s all that matters,” he said.
Lynni said the LGBTQ+ community felt like the first place she belonged when she came out at 14 and found an LGBTQ+ youth support group. She said the experience transformed her from shy and self-conscious to confident and outspoken.
“Having a safe and supportive environment in my community helped me learn to value myself and accept myself for who I am,” Lynni said. “By my 20s, I no longer accepted being a second-class citizen and began fighting for marriage and adoption rights.”
Lynni emphasized the importance of creating a safe space for LGBTQ+ youth, especially when these youth are twice as likely to attemp suicide than their heterosexual peers (transgender youth are four times as likely to attempt suicide).
“Suicide becomes an option when a person feels they are alone,” she said. “This often happens to LGBTQ+ kids when others don’t accept them and invalidate their identities, sending them recurrent messages that they are not good enough.”
Lynni said having a visible LGBTQ+ community creates higher levels of safety reduces risk of suicide and promotes a safe environment for the queer community to find solidarity and navigate through adversity.
The team at Enid Pride said a surprising amount of work goes into planning a small-town Pride, with a team of dedicated volunteers and support from the city and local businesses.
Last year’s Enid Pride was the largest on record with more vendors than ever before and events such as scavenger hunts, games and a flag parade.
This year, there are even bigger things planned, including a wine and glow paint party on July 13 at Okie Craft Co. and a casino and game night. Enid Pride is partnering with Gaslight Theatre for Broadway Backwards, a “genderbending” cabaret. They are also planning an after party drag show Sept. 21. Special guests include Drag King Shire Paige as well as many others.
“With this marking the 10th year of Enid Pride, as well as the 50th anniversary of Stonewall, we want to strive to make this milestone year bigger and better than ever,” the team said. “We’re proud to be going a decade strong and looking forward to another 10 years.
Lynni said having a visible LGBTQ+ community creates higher levels of safety reduces risk of suicide and promotes a safe environment for the queer community to find solidarity and navigate through adversity.
The team at Enid Pride said a surprising amount of work goes into planning a small-town Pride, with a team of dedicated volunteers and support from the city and local businesses.
Last year’s Enid Pride was the largest on record with more vendors than ever before and events such as scavenger hunts, games and a flag parade. This year, there are even bigger things planned, including a wine and glow paint party on July 13 at Okie Craft Co. and a casino and game night. Enid Pride is partnering with Gaslight Theatre for Broadway Backwards, a “genderbending” cabaret. They are also planning an after party drag show Sept. 21. Special guests include Drag King Shire Paige as well as many others.
“With this marking the 10th year of Enid Pride, as well as the 50th anniversary of Stonewall, we want to strive to make this milestone year bigger and better than ever,” the team said. “We're proud to be going a decade strong and looking forward to another 10 years.”
Copyright The Gayly. 6/25/2109 @10:35 a.m. CST.