You know, this is one of those things that I thought I'd never see in Sedalia. But I am pleasantly surprised to see that not only is it happening, but there's been a big positive response to it. It's going to be happening at Liberty Park on June 22, from 1:00  p.m. to 6:00 p.m.  The event is going to be absolutely free (you bring your own lunch) with games, story telling, bubbles, a giant parachute, and hula hoops for kids photo booth,... a very family friendly afternoon. There will also be some drinks and ice, and a few little snacks here and there.

I personally am all behind this.  I believe the term for people like me is "ally".  I have had and do have friends all over the rainbow, and it's beautiful.  I got to talk with one of the organizers, Heather, and here's what she had to say:

The event came about as I was scrolling through all the pride themed memes, art, and think-pieces on my social media. It suddenly made me really sad because I wanted that feeling of connection and belonging here-- not on my phone, not a 2-hour drive away.  Even though there are LBGTQ+ folks around, there is not a visible, public community--at least not that I am aware of. The goal is to have an inclusive, family-friendly space to celebrate, empower, and advocate for the LGBTQ+ community in the rural midwest. It will be an opportunity for LGBTQ+ folks to network, share information, enjoy each other's company, and simply be visible. For allies and the larger community, I hope this will be an opportunity to see that not all queer folks live in cities, but we are actually neighbors. That's part of why I decided to do a picnic rather than a parade. At a picnic, folks settle in. They share space. They make themselves (however temporarily) neighbors in a real tangible sort of way.

I hope it goes well, and that it gets bigger and better every year.  We should all be able to live our lives the way we see fit, and love the people we love.  No matter your race, your creed, your gender identity, nationality, whatever, we're all here on this stupid rock and we might as well get along.  And we should be proud of who we are and what we want to be.  There's a self acceptance that comes from that, it's very important to be able to truly be yourself without having to lie to yourself or the people around you.

And it's not about taking anything away from anyone else.  It's about celebrating how far we've come, and acknowledging how far we have to go. If you're one of those people who says, "well, where's my straight pride day?"  You have it every day, you know.  Nobody is going to look at you funny or say anything to you if you're walking down the street holding hands with your heterosexual partner. That's like the people who ask "Why isn't there a White History Month?"  That's history class.  You have that every day.  When the day comes that a straight person gets beaten up just for being straight, then we'll talk, okay?

In the meantime, let's just get together and have fun. If you want to get involved and help, you can email tangledmacrame@gmail.com or go to this Google form.

Pridefully yours,

Behka

More From KIX 105.7