Pride is about PEOPLE.
As LGBTQIA+ gain visibility and rights over the decades, more communities and companies are hosting events for Pride Month and throughout the year.
Whether you are a volunteer event planner or have been coordinating festivals for decades, it is important that your Pride activities embrace four central values: visibility, inclusion, economic empowerment, community care, and preparation.
This blog series, written in collaboration with Alli Thresher pulls together decades of wisdom from event producers, performers, and participants for developing an event that truly reflects LGBTQIA+ Pride.
Visibility
Inclusion
Economic Empowerment
Community Care
Preparation
Pride is about COMMUNITY CARE
Pride celebrations were born out of remembrance and solidarity after Stonewall and sustained throughout the AIDS Crisis to strengthen community bonds.
As an event organizer, you have a responsibility to continue that legacy in your own community.
When we say community care, we mean Invite and Act On Feedback, Own Your Mistakes, and Be Transparent.
Invite and Act On Feedback
Coordinating Pride events puts you in an important role as the steward of queer joy for an entire community. Everyone has different expectations based on past experiences or personal preferences, and it is important that you develop mechanisms for gathering feedback.
Anonymous surveys, listening sessions, and town halls are a great way to collect a lot of information at once. Folx will also take to social media to share their feedback, whether solicited or not.
Remember that the feedback is not about you personally, but about the event. Regardless of whether you agree with the feedback or not, it is important that you validate all input you receive. This includes showing gratitude for someone sharing their experience, especially if it requires courage in the face of being disappointed or hurt, as well as being clear about next steps.
People want you and your organization to do better and be better because they care. If those harmed don’t call you in, it’s because they don’t feel like they’re in community with you. Hard conversations are a good thing.”
Own Your Mistakes
If something doesn’t go according to plan or you receive negative feedback, it is important to be accountable for the real impact of your actions. Take ownership of wrongdoing, however small, and develop an action plan to address the harm and improve in the future.
It is important that you are open to feedback and actively listen to critique. Ensure that you are asking questions to understand, not provoke, and act with empathy. When people feel understood, they are often open to working towards a mutually-beneficial solution.
However, if a group or individual feels that the damage is irreparable, you must accept that. It can take a long time to heal and build trust back up. It is important that you continue to foster that trust, whether or not it is reciprocated. Remember that though you may only be hearing something once, the viewpoint likely reflects other people’s perspectives as well.
What makes a good apology?
| Use the words “I am sorry” or “I apologize” to validate the harm cause | “I am sorry that our event activities made you feel excluded.” |
| Take ownership by being specific of what happened | “I recognize that having our event at the Olde Theater was not inclusive for people who use mobility aids.” |
| Demonstrate that you recognize the impact of the action | “The Olde Theater is very important to our community, but the steep staircases did not make the dance floor accessible for you and others.” |
| Make a commitment | “It was an oversight on our part because not all areas of the event were accessible. I am going to make sure that we add mobility access and a walk-through as part of our venue selection process.” |
| Offer reparations, if you are able | “I know I can’t change the past, but I can refund your cover fee.” |
Credit: Sorry Watch
Be Transparent
Regardless of whether you are a volunteer committee or formally organized, transparency helps build credibility and respect within the community.
Celebrate your successes and share your challenges, including finances and laws/policies, so that the community understands the realities of coordinating an event. Ensure that you have clear calls to actions, as there may be people with skills or solutions that support the entire community.
Publicize your financials to demonstrate the financial resources required to put on a Pride event, as well as show how resources are allocated. This is an opportunity to build trust, as well as spotlight how you are economically empowering the community.
Would you take money from JK Rowling?
Rainbow-washing: When a company publicly shows supports for the LGBTQIA+ community (ex: event sponsorship, rainbow merchandise), but privately does harm to the community by advocating for anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation or simply complacency
“Pride is About People” Topics
Visibility
Inclusion
Preparation
Community
Care
Economic
Empowerment
How are you incorporating these values into your Pride event?
Need support planning your upcoming event?
