Press release from Blue Ridge Pride:
Blue Ridge Pride’s (BRP) all-volunteer board and leadership team have voted unanimously to cancel this year’s June Pride Party, Blue Ridge Pride Festival, Welcoming WNC Procession, MX Pride Pageant, LGBTQ Story Slam, and Movies & Mixer Series.
“We are heart-broken,” says Executive Director Tina Madison White. “But community safety is our number one priority. To keep our activities safe, they would have been so small that it wouldn’t make sense for our community partners and vendors. We are also concerned about the ability of a 100% volunteer-driven organization to ensure a safe event under the current circumstances.”
BRP is shifting its immediate focus towards supporting programs that address urgent needs in the community. These include emergency response funds run by Tranzmission, Campaign for Southern Equality, and Youth OUTRight. They also include programs run by Western NC AIDS Project, WNC Community Health Services, and Loving Food Resources. It also continues to promote volunteerism among its members to organizations like MANNA Food bank.
“We have even encouraged our sponsors to reallocate any funds they might have earmarked for the festival to these organizations,” says Board President Butch Thompson. “We have diverted our own available funds and have run challenge grants through our BRP Community Partner Fund. All funds donated to the fund go to groups serving the WNC community.”
In place of the Pride Festival, BRP is exploring alternative, small-scale events with local vendors, partners, and festival organizations. “We are still exploring potential uses of Pack Square Park in September,” says Festival Director Rick Swilling. “For example, an outdoor movie-in-the-park would be easier to manage.” It also recently participated in LEAF Global’s first virtual festival (V-LEAF). “One of the benefits of virtual space,” says White, “is that it enables communities to connect across geographies.”
Anyone with questions, ideas, or suggestions should contact Tina White (executivedirector@blueridgepride.org) or Butch Thompson (BThompson@blueridgepride.org).
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