Even though Rhode Island is the smallest state in the country, it makes up for it with a ton of heart and love for the LGBTQ community that resides within it. For this week's edition of Travel Thursday, we are heading back to one of our favorite New England states and breaking down what happened during their annual Pride weekend which took place June 15th through the 17th.
The theme for this year's event was Louder and Prouder. It’s a call to action: to stand up and fight for equal rights for all LGBTQ+ people no matter who they love, the color of their skin, or their gender identity. That sentiment was definitely felt throughout the three days of non-stop fabulosity and celebration of our community.
“As Providence continues to grow as the creative capital, we are excited to welcome thousands of visitors who are Loud and Proud to the city to celebrate the diversity of our LGBTQ community and experience all the amazing events and programs during RI Pride,” said Joe Lazzerini, President of Rhode Island Pride. “As part of our theme this year, we are not only here to be Loud, but we are also here and Proud of our history as a queer community and the fights ahead.”
Friday night was a block party of sorts on Washington Street, which featured the talents of 80's pop goddess Tiffany.
Several events took place during the weekend that was, notably on Saturday afternoon where South Water Street turned into an LGBTQ street fair. It was here that RuPaul's Drag Race stars Monet X Change and Laila McQueen brought the house down and local drag talent like Kira Stone and Annie B. Frank lit the crowd up with their fierce energy.
Saturday night was when an amazing assortment of floats and marching groups made their way down Washington Street. Organizations like SAGE and PFLAG marched with pride alongside their very handsome major Jorge Elorza, Governor Gina Raimondo and many others.
This culminated with their wonderful pride parade on Sunday, which could not have been more colorful. As someone who resided in Providence for five years, I'm fully aware of how amazing this city and state is when it comes to their support of the LGBTQ community. This past weekend proved that thought process, and my hope is that the support continues to grow each and every year.
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