As the Summer of 2020 quickly fades into the background, Pride 2020 is something that many of us missed the most this year. While many of us are already looking forward to next summer, when we (fingers crossed) are able to express our pride in more traditional ways, Atlanta, GA held their 2020 Pride this past weekend. Instagram quickly filled up with pictures and revelers enjoying Pride, but it was shockingly, not the kind of Pride you would expect right now.
Over the weekend, videos and pictures emerged, painting a picture of an Atlanta Pride that was definitely not the one planned for our current country’s climate. While all official Atlanta Pride events were virtual, an event held at BJ Roosters was definitely not. The early Sunday morning event was from 3am-7am and organized and promoted by Ga Boy Events, who had organized a number of other events during Atlanta Pride weekend.
atlanta pride last night… what are y’all UP TO… i get that people miss how carefree we used to be able to be… i do too!! but the pandemic isn’t over just because you’re over it pic.twitter.com/ySPmNIgHmA
— tyler oakley 🙋🏼♂️ (@tyleroakley) October 10, 2020
Sadly, the revelry over the weekend also included the death of an unidentified man who was found unconscious at BJ Roosters. He had apparently passed out in the basement of the establishment earlier that morning (after consuming ecstasy, per his partner.) Emergency workers were unsuccessful in reviving him. An investigation is ongoing, per WXIA-TV, the NBC Atlanta affiliate)
One of Xion’s attendees, who asked to remain anonymous, forwarded a statement to The Advocate stating that pandemic guidelines were not being enforced at the circuit event, and it was “packed” with hundreds of guests and was actually “overcapacity at times.” The witness saw the victim, who he described as a healthy-looking black man in his mid to late 30s, having a medical emergency at around 6:30 a.m. No EMT’s were on site at the event and it took close to 30 minutes for paramedics to arrive. While a fellow reveler performed CPR, the staff “seemed unprepared to handle anything of the sort,” the witness said. It took some time for the music to even be turned off. “It was a minimum of 30 minutes before an ambulance arrived, and I’m being generous. It was tragic,” he said. “I’ve been to parties all over the world, I have never been to one without EMTs. In my opinion, this could have been avoided.”
Taken last night at Atlanta Pride. And publicly posted to Instagram. In the middle of a pandemic. People can be so shitty and selfish. Please don’t be like these people. This is appallingly gross. pic.twitter.com/SDafZ0HXfC
— Andy Herren (@AndyHerren) October 10, 2020
For their part, the official Atlanta Pride is holding health and responsibility as their top priority. They released a statement emphatically stating that all Atlanta Pride events are virtual and that any of the events showcased in the numerous videos are not official Atlanta Pride events. They ended with “Stay home and safe.”
https://twitter.com/atlantapride/status/1315075628165591040?s=20
A call to BJ Roosters for comment went unanswered as of press time
Info on Atlanta Pride can be found at AtlantaPride.org
Sources: WXIA-TV, The Advocate