The Greenbrier Valley showed its colors on Saturday, June 26, as the area’s first-ever Pride event covered downtown Lewisburg in a blanket of rainbows and smiling faces. People of all ages, races and walks of life came out to gather with friends, both old and new, to celebrate our uniqueness, as well as our shared humanity.
The month of June is recognized nationally as LGBTQIA+ Pride Month.
According to youth.gov, Pride Month is celebrated “to honor the 1969 Stonewall riots and works to achieve equal justice and equal opportunity for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) Americans. In June of 1969, patrons and supporters of the Stonewall Inn in New York City staged an uprising to resist the police harassment and persecution to which LGBT Americans were commonly subjected. This uprising marks the beginning of a movement to outlaw discriminatory laws and practices against LGBT Americans.”
The organizers behind the event, “Greenbrier Valley Pride,” are a relatively new group, describing themselves as being “dedicated to inclusivity and the celebration of the LGBTQIA+ community throughout the region.”
The Lewisburg event came just two weeks after a similarly successful event was held in Beckley.
“Greenbrier Valley Pride means so much to me as a queer woman having grown up in southern West Virginia,” said Kelsie Tyson, local artist and president of Greenbrier Valley Pride, in a statement released earlier in the week. “My hope is that this event serves as a safe space and celebration for our local LGBTQIA+ folks and allies.”
The event kicked off at 3 p.m. with a parade down Washington Street and continuing onto Court Street. Men, women and children carrying signs with slogans such as…
Read the full story wvdn.com.
This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.