Though Pride month may be winding down, Pride season has only just begun with dozens of Pride celebrations scheduled across the state this summer. Ann Arbor Pride is no exception, officially celebrating its 25th anniversary exactly 50 years after the Stonewall Riots. The annual event is hosted by and benefits the Jim Toy Community Center, an organization dedicated to serving Ann Arbor's LGBTQ community, and will begin on Saturday, Aug. 3. Joe Schoch is co-director of the festival, and he said that this year will kick off like usual on Saturday with a party.
"We're still finalizing those details, [but] on Saturday is really where the festival is," he said. "[That's] where we'll have not only an entertainment stage with local entertainers as well as a national headliner, we'll also have a beer and wine tent and a kid zone as well. The kid zone will have a face-painter, a bounce house, a drag queen storytime — one of our favorites, we've received a really positive response for that in our community. And then, Sunday, we kind of wrap everything up with a community picnic."
This year's national headliner is something of a milestone for the festival, too, as she's a drag queen — something Ann Arbor Pride has never done.
"Their name is Aja and they were on 'RuPaul's Drag Race,' but they also are an advocate in the genderqueer movement as well," Schoch said, adding that this year the festival has a dedicated focus on inclusion of all groups within the LGBTQ community.
"Jadein Black is [a local drag queen and] the one who is organizing all of the local talent. One thing that I really like about Jadein's schedule is she does a really good job of really representing the community in diverse ways," Schoch said. "So, this year we'll be bringing back yoga in the morning. We also have a variety of drag queens and kings, Killer Flamingos, we have some poetry readings as well and then we also have a queer burlesque group coming in, along with the OutLoud Chorus. So, what has really excited me is that Ann Arbor Pride has always had a really good representation of everybody in the community, not just the stereotypical white male version of pride. We really wanted to make sure that we created an environment that mirrors Ann Arbor's environment and allows everybody to come in and feel comfortable."
Part of ensuring that comfortable feeling is ensuring that all can attend the event easily; that's why Schoch said the event is free.
"It's nice to be able to see sponsors and vendors come in and also support the organizations and the group and help people find their communities hopefully post pride, so that this doesn't just become a one-time thing where the community gets together and celebrates," he said. "Hopefully, people can get together and engage in meaningful ways and find their community and their tribe outside of the first weekend of August."
Ann Arbor Pride Starts Aug. 3
Read More
Michigan's Trans Migration Project Is Helping to Protect Trans People Just By Getting Them Somewhere Safe
A faith-based collective of partners across Michigan is shepherding out-of-state trans people to Michigan for the gender-affirming care and affirmation they [...]
Go Girl! Saugatuck Celebrates Women’s Weekend at Nation’s Largest Gay Resort
Women hearing the siren call of Lake Michigan may want to mark May 31-June 2 on their calendars. Those are the days that the largest gay resort in the country [...]
Michigan Democratic Party LGBT and Allies Caucus Holds Spring Meeting
One of the most often derided cliches of political journalism is to say “a lot is at stake in this election” but it is quite literally true this [...]
Why So Many Local Queer Folks Are Flocking to Mishpacha, Temple Beth Emeth’s Thriving LGBTQ+ Affinity Group
Ari Smith was a little worried when her rabbi called to ask her about something he was noticing in her part of the sanctuary during weekly services at Temple [...]
Why a Local Academic Is Fostering Queer Discussion and Community Through an Old-Fashioned Book Club
Queer books on public library shelves have come under fire across the country in recent years, but you wouldn’t know it at the Ypsilanti District Library [...]
Biden-Harris Campaign Launches LGBTQ+ Voter Initiative at Affirmations — How You Can Get Involved in the 2024 Election
The election season is officially heating up in Michigan, with a special focus on queer voters. On April 10, local and statewide community leaders and elected [...]
