Pride celebrations across the country have never been more important.
With over 600 anti-LGBTQ bills being proposed right now nationwide, coming together for Pride reminds us all that we cannot and will not be erased.
That’s especially true for the resilient and vibrant LGBTQ community residing in Prattville, Alabama.
Prattville Pride is an inclusive organization dedicated to fostering love, acceptance, and diversity. Nestled in the heart of Alabama’s River Region, they strive to create a safe space where everyone can be their most authentic selves.
Last June, Pratville resident, Anna Evans, decided she wanted to host a Pride picnic. With the help of her friends Adam Hunt and Caryl Lawson, the event was a major success, hosting over 150 guests!
However, this kind of visibility and progress, especially in smaller townships and suburbs, often comes with hate: Their celebration of love and acceptance drew the attention of an extremist hate group that disrupted the gathering and brought a chilling effect to a community wanting to be more inclusive.
Pratville, Alabama is also home to local bans on LGBTQ books, a situation which the library board of trustees is still working through lifting and amending.
In the end, Anna, Adam and Caryl said, ‘not today!,’ and ‘not in Pratville!’
Out of that hate and violence they saw last year, the three formed Pratville Pride, and this year, hosted their first official Pride celebration as a community.
The first-ever Pratville Alabama Pride took place on June 23rd and could not have been more of a success.
In collaboration with Good Morning America, GLAAD honored Prattville Pride and its organizers with a GLAAD Special Recognition award for their resilience and commitment to ensuring LGBTQ people in Pratville are seen and loved.
“Pride is about a sense of community and belonging and allowing people to take up space and be themselves,” Lawson shared. “It’s so important, especially in today’s climate where our community is under attack. Especially the trans community. It is so important people know they’re not alone.”
Then, GMA‘s Gio Benitez revealed that GLAAD honored the three co-founders with a GLAAD Special Recognition Award for all their hard work and resilience in creating Pratville Pride.
Hunt got emotional when saying, “I’ve grown up here my whole life wanting to have a Pride event here and I’m just amazed that I could help make that dream come true. We really needed it so much in this small conservative town.”
Head to www.prattvillepride.org to learn more and watch the full segment from Good Morning America here.