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On Saturday evening the fifth
annual Pride Fest in Lincoln was celebrated with a ribbon cut held
at the kick off for the evening.
Those behind the ribbon included Pride Board members Kelsie Edwards,
Tristin Karrick, Taylor Lyon, Sam Downs, and Lisa Cotton. Joining
them was Lincoln Mayor Tracy Welch.
The event was held on the stage area located at the corner of
Kickapoo and Pulaski Streets on the Logan County Courthouse Square.
The first to speak for the ribbon
cut was board vice-president Tristin Karrick. He welcomed everyone
to the fifth annual Pride Fest and went on to say. “It is so amazing
to see all these beautiful faces on a beautiful day. I want to say
thank you for the last five years. This all happened because
somebody said this would never happen in Logan County.” He said that
was why he was there, why everyone was there, and that alone was a
reason to celebrate. “We’re here to have fun, and support some of
our small businesses.” Karrick also noted that this is the ten year
anniversary of the landmark case Obergefell v. Hodges that permitted
same sex marriages and ultimately set off the Pride movement for
LGBTQ citizens.
Second to speak was Mayor Welch. He
said “this is really everybody’s festival but it is your festival.”
He went on to congratulate the group on their five years and said
that as mayor it was very important to him to make sure that
everyone in the community is represented and “I think that is what
this festival displays, that like minded people can come together
and celebrated things that are important to them and that they care
about.”
Board president Kelsie Edwards was
the final person to address the crowd that had gathered.
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She said it was a day “filled with
color, courage and community.” She thanked Mayor Welch and Lincoln
Daily News for being part of the opening ceremony for year five. She
said, as had already been stated, the celebration happened for the
first time because people said it was something that would never
happen in Logan County. She said, “it made us want to make it
happen.” She said that the Pride celebration was a statement of
“visibility, a reminder of how far we have come, and a call to
continue the journey toward equality. It is a time to recognize and
honor those who have paved the way, and to uplift those who are
fighting to be seen and to remind every person here you are valued
and never alone.”
Edwards continued, “In smaller
towns and rural areas it sometimes feels isolating, resources are
limited, and acceptance takes longer to grow. That is why events
like this matter so much.”
She went on to thank local leaders, schools, and community members
who have shown support for the LGBTQ community.
After that, it was time for the
posed picture and the ribbon cut. The ribbon was snipped by Edwards
along with fellow board member Taylor Lyon amidst a large volume of
cheers from the spectator.
The event then officially began,
with vendors set up on Pulaski and Kickapoo Streets along with
contests and entertainment throughout the evening.
[Nila Smith] |
