OHIO’s LGBT Center to co-host second annual Athens Pride Fest
Athens Pride Fest 2018, a week-long event produced by Ohio University’s LGBT Center and the Southeastern LGBTQ Center & Coalition, will run Monday, June 4, through Sunday, June 10.
Athens Pride Fest is a celebration of solidarity, education, fun and activism aimed to promote love, acceptance and camaraderie. Created in 2017 as a statement against oppression, the event is an opportunity to unite and celebrate one another.
Event organizers encourage, whether one is LGBTQ or an ally, coming together as a community as a statement against oppression.
Athens Pride Fest 2018 will host nine events throughout the week, including last year’s most requested addition, a pride parade and rally. All events are open to the public and all community members — LGBT people, non-LGBT people and everyone in-between and beyond — are encouraged to attend.
Monday, June 4
SafeZone LGBTQ Solidarity and Queer Accomplicehood from 6 to 8 p.m. at Athens Public Library is a free workshop exploring sexual and gender diversities with discussions on how to be a good ally.
Tuesday, June 5
Athens Uncorked will host a Cheers and Queers happy hour event from 6 to 8 p.m.
Wednesday, June 6
Drag Queen Storytime, an all-ages event best suited for younger children, will be held at the Athens Public Library from 6 to 8 p.m.
Thursday, June 7
A day-long summit for social service and health professionals, the Rural Voices Summit will be hosted by Equitas Health Institute at Ohio University from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. It will focus on improving care for transgender and gender-diverse peoples living in rural America.
Breaking Binaries at the Brewery, a celebration of the Rural Voices Conference and an opportunity to embrace transgender pride, will be hosted at Little Fish Brewing Co. from 6 to 10 p.m. where $1 from every brew sold will be donated to the Ohio University LGBT Center Emergency Fund that supports LGBTQ+ individuals who are experiencing financial hardship.
Friday, June 8
A Comedy Show at The Union featuring Brooke Cartus, Whitney Chitwood, Scott Duff and Brittany Meyer begins at 7 p.m.
Saturday, June 9
A pride parade will begin at 2 p.m. by the Athens Middle School, following a route along Court Street and concluding at College Green. A rally on the College Green will follow immediately after.
A dance party at Casa Nueva with DJ Zteffen will begin at 9:30 p.m.
Sunday, June 10
Beginning at 1 p.m., a family-friendly picnic and hike at the Strouds Run State Park bobcat shelter will conclude the festivities. Pack a picnic lunch or enjoy something from local food trucks. The Athens Pride Fest organizers will also be serving pizza, hamburgers and more on a first-come, first-serve basis. Casual hikes will occur throughout the day. Other activities include yoga, basketball, fishing, paddle boating and more.
The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) Center advances the diversity mission of Ohio University by creating a university environment and community inclusive and supportive of sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, and queerness. The Center strives to continually improve the quality of life for LGBT people on campus, in Athens and in Southeastern Ohio.
The newly merged Southeastern LGBTQ Center & Coalition (formerly Southeast Ohio LGBTQ+ Center and Southeastern Ohio LGBT Coalition) strives to facilitate unity, support and harmony in the Southeastern Ohio LGBTQ+ community.
More information on all Athens Pride Fest 2018 events can be found on the Out and Proud Athens Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/pg/outandproudathens/events/.
For additional information about Athens Pride Fest 2018, please contact delfin bautista*, director of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Center, at bautista@ohio.edu or 740-593-0239, or Lyndsey Fought, co-executive director and communications director of Southeastern LGBTQ Center & Coalition, at lyndsey.fought@seorainbow.org or 740-440-5369.
*Editor’s Note: delfin prefers the lowercase form of their name and gender neutral pronouns.