Saturday's Pride in The Park to celebrate community
Jun. 17—CHEYENNE — Across the country in the month of June, people of all genders, sexualities and backgrounds commemorate the LGBTQ rights movement and celebrate Pride Month, and Cheyenne is no different.
Wyoming Equality will put on its Pride in the Park event tomorrow, from noon to 3 p.m. June 19 at Lincoln Park in South Cheyenne, and all are welcome to attend and bring their families.
"We are thrilled to see the wide variety of events and celebrations statewide," Andrea Shipley, Vice President of the Wyoming Equality board of directors said in a news release. "In a year when communities need connection more than ever, we celebrate in Cheyenne in solidarity with communities statewide."
While many Pride events last year had to pivot to digital due to the pandemic, other areas in the state are already back to their celebrations; Evanston even saw its first-ever pride parade earlier this month.
Pride, at least in this type of public setting, hasn't been a long-standing tradition in Cheyenne either, with Wyoming Equality hosting its first Pride Month parade five years ago in 2017. Moreover, gay residents in Wyoming only earned the right to get married in 2014, thanks to a lawsuit filed by four gay couples and Wyoming Equality.
Two of those couples were denied marriage licenses right here in Laramie County, due to a state statute that stated marriage was between a man and a woman. The win in court didn't come without resistance, as a number of lawmakers, including then Gov. Matt Mead, spoke in opposition of gay marriage.
The lawsuit name, Courage v. Wyoming, reflects the trait exemplified by local activists who pushed for change in Wyoming and the LGBTQ rights activists during the Stonewall uprising — a pivotal moment that helped spark the modern gay rights movement.
"Patrons, led by Marsha P. Johnson, of the Stonewall Inn took action against state-sanctioned violence by rising up against a police raid there on June 28, 1969," the Wyoming Equality news release reads. "Every June since then, LGBTQ and allied community members have participated in marches, demonstrations, calls to action, and in more recent history, celebrations."
The tune at Saturday's event should be just that, with a barbeque, games, face painting and other activities the whole family can enjoy. Attendees are also welcome to bring their own side dishes and snacks.
"Pride events center on the importance of community and connection — values that have been all the more emphasized during a pandemic that has seriously impacted our ability to gather together," the news release said.
Margaret Austin is the Wyoming Tribune Eagle's local government reporter. She can be reached at maustin@wyomingnews.com or 307-633-3152. Follow her on Twitter at @MargaretMAustin.
