By MICHAEL CRIMMINS
Glasgow News 1
The sun was high in the vibrant white-speckled, blue sky. Despite the heavy heat roughly 210 adults and children traveled to Beaver Creek Park for the inaugural Glasgow Pride Picnic.
Glasgow Pride is a newly-formed organization working towards its nonprofit status. Steve Jones, current chair of the organization, said Glasgow Pride was founded in the wake of the Drag Bingo cancellation, an event that was scheduled for June 29 that was ultimately canceled citing safety concerns due to the intensity of community backlash.
“A bunch of us got together via Facebook and realized there needed to be a unified voice for the LGBTQ community,” Jones said during a recent July interview. “There’s really only a small [portion] of [the Glasgow-Barren County] community that is anti-LGBTQ and we realized it’s very easy for that group to pick on one or two people but if we present a unified voice…it becomes more difficult.”
Pride flags hung from the outdoor pavilion filling the park with all the colors of the rainbow as bubbles floated on the sparse, but refreshing, afternoon breeze.
Tiffany Rigsby, one of the attendees, said it is especially important in a small community like Glasgow to have these types of events to provide a visual and outward show of acceptance to people who might otherwise feel like an island; separate and apart.
“I feel it’s about time Glasgow had a Pride event where the community can get out and enjoy being with each other and making new friends,” she said. “Events like this are important because it shows people they’re not alone and there’s nothing wrong with them. We’re just being who we are and loving who we love.”
There were a few protestors bearing signs and handing out free Bibles and bottled waters. Largely, these few were ignored as people turned instead to cornhole and face painting.
Jones said this is not the last Pride event they will put on with more events to come in the future.
Steve Jones, the current chair of Glasgow Pride, speaks at the inaugural Pride Picnic flanked by other committee members of Glasgow Pride. Jones said they are working to make Glasgow Pride a nonprofit organization though, as of yet, have gotten far along in the process. Michael Crimmins/Glasgow News 1.
At the picnic there was free items as well as free “mom hugs” and face painting. Michael Crimmins/Glasgow News 1.
The event offered an informal space for people to get together for fun and games. Michael Crimmins/Glasgow News 1.
The event offered an informal space for people to get together for fun and games. Michael Crimmins/Glasgow News 1.
As could be expected there were a few protestors who showed up to the picnic holding signs, offering free Bibles and giving people free water bottles. Largely the protestors were ignored by the picnic goers. Michael Crimmins/Glasgow News 1.
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