The month of July means it's time for LGBTQ Pride in Tacoma. While cities across the country celebrate Pride Month at its traditional month of June, it was decided long ago that Tacoma would celebrate in July so that folks can enjoy June Pride events in other cities including Seattle, with its pride march being the biggest annual parade of any type held in Washington state.
Pride Month 2024 in Tacoma was first made known on July 1 with the raising of the Pride flag atop the Tacoma Dome. At local city government, South Sound Pride was officially declared with a Metro Parks Tacoma proclamation on June 26, a Tacoma City Council proclamation on July 2, and a Pierce County Council proclamation on July 9. The Port of Tacoma issued its Pride Month proclamation on June 18.
Tacoma Public Schools also added its voice with TPS Board of Directors President Lisa Keating attending the Tacoma council's July 2 meeting.
"As a partner to the city, I just want to say thank you on behalf of the board and school district for year after year acknowledging our LGBTQ community no matter their age, and continuing to demonstrate the value they create and give to our community," Keating said. "On behalf of the school board and the district, thank you so much."
Tacoma Pride can even be seen on city streets. The City of Tacoma's new Public Works Artist-in-Residence, Natalie Dupille, created a new pride themed mural located at the corner of South 9th Street and Pacific Avenue and South 9th and A streets. Part of the award-winning "If It Hits the Ground, It Hits the Sound" campaign, the mural aims to raise awareness about preventing stormwater pollution in Commencement Bay and surrounding waters while celebrating our queer community.
A month of Pride
Friday, July 12, is Tacoma Pride festivities kick-off as the LGBTQ+ Community Pride Awards and Flag Raising will be held at the Pantages Theater, 4:30-6:30 p.m. The event is free, and all ages are welcome. The board and staff of the Rainbow Center and Tacoma Pride will recognize individuals, community-based organizations, and businesses that have exhibited exemplary leadership or service to the LGBTQ+ community. Afterward, Mayor Woodards will raise the Pride flag over Tacoma City Hall.
The big Pride Festival is the next day in downtown Tacoma, 12-6 p.m. The entrance is at 9th and Pacific Avenue where the streets will be filled with people of all ages, a mainstage hosted by Alma Tacoma with queer and BIPOC entertainment, a beer garden, Makers Market and much more.
That same day and into the night, 2 p.m. to 12 a.m., Block Party at The Mix will be underway. Appearances by Plasma (from Season 16 of "RuPaul's Drag Race"); The Illustrious Blacks; Anita Spritzer; Macy Marcs; Amelia Day; Ship Show; The Squid Game finalists Sam Lantz, Dash Katz, and Phalisia Boothe; Baby Van Beezly; Beau Degas; Cali The Stalli; Miss Texas 1988; Norvina DuBois; Pussy Willow; This Girl; Vivienne Paradisco; and The Mix Karaoke Queens. This is a 21+ only event.
Saturday, July 20, brings the Big Hat Brunch, a signature fundraiser for Oasis Youth Center. This inspiring and awareness-raising event invites guests near and far to support queer youth. Its theme "Celestial Celebration" is to empower and uplift LGBTQ+ youth throughout Pierce County and beyond with the support they need to shoot for the stars and thrive. Tickets are available at https://oasisyouthcenter.org.
Tacoma Earth Gay happens on Saturday, July 27, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Dickman Mill Park, 2423 Ruston Way. Free and open to all, join a queer community of environmental stewards to help clean up and restore vital habitats with engaging activities to learn about sustainability and have fun at this most visible form of environmental activism.
Voices of opposition
Pride Month also brings vocal contention from those who do not believe that this community should be acknowledged or celebrated. This has been publicly expressed most notably through social media comments on the City of Tacoma's Facebook page and at the Pierce County Council.
Last week, county councilmember Amy Cruver declared that she will not be attending meetings there in person but rather over Zoom through the entire month of July due to her distaste for the Pride flag hanging in the council chambers for the first time ever. Cruver made her feelings known at the end of the council's July 2 meeting.
"My reasoning is how life is full of distractions and disruptions and it's also full of memories and experiences that can trigger emotions or feelings associated with tangible items," she said. "I just found myself at odds with my responsibility to focus on the people's business while in chambers and being strapped with the memories or thoughts that flag creates in my mind."
The "tangible items" Cruver seemed to be referring to were photos she displayed of LGBTQ people she finds offensive, and one image of a transgender individual's genital area that she covered with her hand.
County Council Chair Ryan Mello issued a stern statement in response.
"I can only assume Councilmember Amy Cruver's dog whistle remarks over a visual display of acceptance is due to her being frustrated that small-minded ideas like hers have simply lost prevalence and are increasingly out of step with the vast majority of community members. The irony is also not lost on me that Cruver's opposition to 'distractions' culminated in her grinding a meeting of the people's business to a halt so she could publicly grandstand. Such petulant behavior is unbecoming of a representative of Pierce County. I would say shame on her, had she not proven she's unfamiliar with the concept by showing a photo of a person's privates during a government meeting," the statement reads.
"To (Councilmember) Cruver and those who have refused to acknowledge Pride or the LGBTQ Community I say this: Our pride for our diverse and loving community is stronger than your hate will ever be."
The tone was completely different in Tacoma City Council chambers, where the content of its proclamation served to also speak for the council itself. Woodards read, "...we affirm our rejection of all forms of violence and discrimination and our dedication to the safety and inclusion of our LGBTQIA2S+ community and we recommit to ensuring messages of love and acceptance are louder than those of hate and division, especially for our powerful and inspiring queer and questioning youth..."
Queer City Collective's Lee MacClellan addressed the council about the city's Tacoma Pride post on Facebook, stating that she understands the city cannot remove hateful comments due to the First Amendment. However, she had a request of LGBTQ allies.
"Let's drown out the hate with joy. In the city's post about Pride events, share your memes and photos showing joy in everything we love about Tacoma. You might encounter vile posts but please don't block or report the comments. For every troll and hater who comments, I encourage you all to leave a nugget of Tacoma joy and let that be part of the public record."
Woodards took it a step further, defining the difference between "ally" and "accomplice."
She said, "I'm going to challenge us all today to move from being allies to being accomplices. An ally is willing to stand in support of a marginalized voice, but risk is rarely involved. An accomplice uses power and privilege to challenge the status quo, often taking risks to their physical and social well-being in the process. An ally is someone willing to walk beside you. An accomplice is somebody who's willing to walk in front of you.
"That is what I challenge us with this Pride Month. Do something different to make an even stronger commitment than we've ever had before in this community and that is for all of us to become accomplices."
This story first ran in the https://TacomaWeekly.com
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