Longmont celebrates first Pride event

The Saint Vrain Valley Safe Schools Coalition along with co-sponsors Boulder County Public Health, Open and Affirming Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity Support program and Boulder County’s PFLAG hosted the afternoon Pride event on June 26 at Flanders Park in Longmont.

Longmont’s first Pride celebration took place on the 42nd anniversary of the Stonewall riots in New York City, the event that marked the beginning of the Pride movement in the United States.

Nearly 125 youth, young adults, parents and community member advocates attended the afternoon celebration.

Melissa Marsh, Coordinator for the SVVSSC and OASOS programs said, “Our Pride celebration is a healthy, wholesome and fun event. This is a great opportunity for LGBT youth, families and advocates to interact together and with members of the community.”

“This Pride event is for the kids in our community, many which are not yet out. We wanted to provide them a safe place, with great support to allow them to celebrate their diversity,” said Andy Sethi, graduate student and volunteer from OASOS.

All of the food for the afternoon event was donated by community members and businesses in the Saint Vrain Valley School District. Most of the adult attendees gathered to re-acquaint, discuss issues and socialize. Typical picnic activities ensued among the youth in attendance. A mini “Queer Olympics” was organized with a number of team games, activities and an impromptu water balloon toss to cool things off along the shore of McIntosh Lake.

The SVVSSC was formed more than a year ago, according to Marsh. “The program was initiated as an effort to better understand this generation of LGBT youths, and to explore its realities and expectations.”

“The OASOS program focuses on increasing healthy behaviors and decreasing risky behaviors among LGBT youth through support, advocacy and education,” Marsh said.

Jean Hodge, Vice President of the National PFLAG committee, said that one of the goals of the Longmont Pride event was to, “Get the word out about the resources that are available to parents, families and LGBT youth in the Saint Vrain Valley. They don’t have to go this alone, we have such a mix of straight, queer, LGBT allies and parents here today as one community.”

Program meetings

Saint Vrain Valley Safe Schools Coalition meets from 3:30 p.m – 4:30 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday of each month at the Boulder County Public Health Department, 1030 Boston Avenue in Longmont.  For more information, visit www.bouldercounty.org/help/health/pages/svvssc.aspx.

Open and Affirming Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity Support program runs weekly peer support groups for LGBT youth, ages 13-20. The groups are confidential and offered at no cost. OASOS also provides free and confidential crisis intervention, referral and support services to LGBT youth and their allies.

Boulder County Public Health offers training on LGBT issues to school staff and students, health care providers and youth-serving professionals.
For more information about training, visit www.bouldercountyoasos.org and contact Melissa Marsh for inquiries.

PFLAG Boulder County meets at 7 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month at the First United Methodist Church of Boulder.  For more
information contact info@pflagboulder.org.