On Saturday, October 20th, Bowling Green celebrated its second annual Pride Festival. Well over 2,000 participants celebrated their sexuality alongside allies and other members of the LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning and more) community. Over 40 booths, bands, and food vendors came to Circus Square Park to support the event.
Patti Minter, an organizer of the event and current candidate for state Senate, says, “The goal is to promote the feeling of Pride - unity and pride amongst LGBTQIA people and allies - and to pass a Fairness Ordinance in Bowling Green.”
The last two hours of the Pride Festival featured a drag show, which included a strut walk competition with audience participation. Bowling Green High School senior Catherine Harris competed and won against four other volunteers.
The event was free to the public, and when the festival ended, the drag performers led a march to City Hall to rally for protections for LGBTQ+ individuals in Bowling Green’s Civil Rights Act. Minter was among the keynote speakers, along with City Commissioner Brian “Slim” Nash.
“The Pride festival is a great event because it allows people to celebrate their identities in their hometowns, to be who they are, and to celebrate the power of being a part of this beloved community, and to be visible!” said Minter.
Although there were protestors at the event, claiming that being a part of the LGBTQ+ community is a sin, organizers encouraged participants to ignore them, and no violent incidents resulted.
Patti Minter, an organizer of the event and current candidate for state Senate, says, “The goal is to promote the feeling of Pride - unity and pride amongst LGBTQIA people and allies - and to pass a Fairness Ordinance in Bowling Green.”
The last two hours of the Pride Festival featured a drag show, which included a strut walk competition with audience participation. Bowling Green High School senior Catherine Harris competed and won against four other volunteers.
The event was free to the public, and when the festival ended, the drag performers led a march to City Hall to rally for protections for LGBTQ+ individuals in Bowling Green’s Civil Rights Act. Minter was among the keynote speakers, along with City Commissioner Brian “Slim” Nash.
“The Pride festival is a great event because it allows people to celebrate their identities in their hometowns, to be who they are, and to celebrate the power of being a part of this beloved community, and to be visible!” said Minter.
Although there were protestors at the event, claiming that being a part of the LGBTQ+ community is a sin, organizers encouraged participants to ignore them, and no violent incidents resulted.
By Gwen Hatcher