SEAGLA announced the schedule for the third annual Juneau Pride, a celebration of all things Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer & Questioning (LGBTQ), held June 11-19. The spectacular drag show GLITZ!, which sold out the Rockwell ballroom last year, has been moved to Centennial Hall. The pre-show VIP is expanded. It includes a reception with the star of Ru Paul’s Drag Race Season 3, India Ferrah, and nationally reknowned Drag King Landon Cider. New events have been added, including an improv show, “Pinque Pony” featuring an LGBTQ comedy troupe from Chicago and a reception for Two Spirit Alaska Natives, many of whom will be in town for the biennial Celebration. (“Two Spirit” is a term that many Native Americans use to identify their sexual orientation or gender identity in context of their Native heritage.)
This year’s festival has been organized by a Pride Committee, spearheaded by SEAGLA, the Southeast Alaska LGBTQ Alliance. In keeping with the goal of providing something for everyone, Juneau Pride will again offer a wide variety of events, including a Pride Prom dance; the signature Pride Picnic, now in its 30th year; a kickball game; hike & bonfire; trivia contest; and a Saturday night pub crawl, among other events. All events are either free or by donation, including the ticketed ones. At the door organizers ask for a suggested donation.
“Pride commemorates the day in June 1969 when corrupt cops conducting a routine shakedown raid on the Stonewall Inn, a bar in Greenwich Village, New York City, were met by a group of fed-up drag queens, transgender people, gay men and lesbians who stood up to them … and actually threw them out of the bar! The civil disobedience action that occurred over the ensuing few days, generally referred to as “the Stonewall Riots”, is widely seen as the genesis of the modern movement for LGBTQ rights,” says a press release from the group.
Juneau Mayor Ken Koelsch is expected to issue a resolution naming June 2016 “Juneau Pride Month” as Mayor Sanford did in 2014 and 2015, the release said. Commemorating June as “LGBT Pride Month” is not just a local practice, but has been done annually on the national level by President Barack Obama since 2009. It was first recognized by President Bill Clinton in 2000. Rep. Sam Kito and Rep. Cathy Munoz are scheduled to speak at the 30th Anniversary Pride Picnic at 2:30 p.m.
Former city manager Kim Kiefer will be given the “Mildred Boesser Equal Rights Award” at the Opening Ceremony for her 32-year service to the City and Borough of Juneau as an out lesbian and an advocate for LGBTQ equal rights. The award is named for the late Mildred Boesser, stalwart proponent of LGBTQ rights for many decades, who passed in June 2015.
Juneau Pride invites the entire community to “Come Out, Feel Welcomed!” at all of its events. A mix of pre-Pride fundraisers and donations given at each event fund the production of Juneau Pride. Official Juneau Pride 2016 t-shirts will also be on sale to help raise funds to cover costs. This year marks a new collaboration with Aurora Projekt, who printed the shirts in an effort to “look local first” and keep more business in town. Business sponsors of Juneau Pride include KXLL – Excellent Radio, SALT, Suite 907, Bauer Clifton Interiors, The Driftwood Hotel, and the Alaska State Improv Festival.
To find out more about the schedule of events, visit www.juneaupride.org. A downloadable Pride Guide is also available on the website.
