Anchorage celebrates lgbtq+ Pride
Last year, Anchorage’s Pride celebration drew record numbers, with over 12,000 people attending the Pride Festival and Parade. This June looked vastly different, Anchorage’s LGBTQ+ community maintained the spirit of unity and celebration—while also maintaining social distancing.
Anchorage Pride organized safe virtual fundraisers and themed events to engage Alaskans, ranging from online lip-syncing to encouraging people to decorate their houses and dress up to celebrate Pride at home. Across Anchorage, many enthusiastically joined in. However, Pride has always been about more than fun outfits. Christopher Barazza, the president of Anchorage Pride, said that “just because we were unable to celebrate Pride this year in person that doesn’t mean it’s been canceled. Pride is something we hold inside ourselves, something we project and are proud of. Pride isn’t just a month-long celebration, it’s year-round.” The work that Anchorage Pride does is year-round, too. To Anchorage’s LGBTQ+ community, Christopher added, “If you ever feel down, unsafe, or just need someone to talk to, reach out to us! We will talk with you and we will get you to the right resources to help you. We see you; we are here for you; we stand with ALL of you.” The theme of Pride 2020, Pride Is Power, still rings true. “Pride is the power of bodily autonomy. To be able to present our bodies. To tell the world who we truly are. Power is the ability to make our own choices, to choose whom we love and be our authentic selves.” The spirit of Pride cannot be cancelled with the event. Despite the pandemic, Anchorage has come together to recognize and renew its commitment to the power, authenticity, and love that Pride represents—not just in June, but every day of the year. Anchorage PrideFest is an annual celebration of Alaska’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) communities and it is a program of Identity, Inc., Alaska’s leading LGBTQ+ organization. - If you wish to contact them, their phone number is 907-929-4528 and their email, info@identityinc.org |