‘Never Going Back’: Bend Pride celebrations begin this weekend
Isabella Warren
(Update: Adding comments from organizers)
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ)– Drake Park will be filled with rainbows, booths, and pride for Bend’s annual Pride event. Parties and events will be held all weekend long, beginning Friday night.
Bend Pride Coalition and SUS Magazine are teaming up again for this year’s Summer Pride.
“It’s just grown every year, and it’s been really beautiful to see,” said Julia Canales with SUS. “This year is a little different. So really excited to see who shows up. And even if you are feeling a little nervous about it, it really means a lot to still show up and be there for your community.”
The annual Drake Park celebration begins Saturday with a 5K in the morning and the festival in the afternoon, starting at 11 a.m. Food, musical performances and booths are all scheduled for the day.
Brooklyn Wagner with Bend Pride said, “We’re going to have lots of stuff going on at the park, but super family-friendly, everyone will have something that they enjoy there.”
It comes as uncertainty over safety at public events surfaced, with many events being cancelled, including Bend’s annual Juneteenth celebration (though another Juneteenth community event is now set for June 20th) and events organized by the Latino Community Association.
Organizer Sean Lawrence said, “With the climate we’re in now, it’s more important than ever to show solidarity and allyship for, marginalized communities, including the queer community that’s in your backyard.”
This year’s slogan, “Never Going Back,” is a reminder of the history of the LGBTQ community, as well as the continuing fight for justice.
The human rights campaign says nearly 1 in 5 of any type of hate crime is motivated by anti-LGBTQ+ bias.
“Never going back, especially in these times, to me, really means, like, I’m standing on business and I’m standing on the ground like, I am who I am. I can’t change that. I’m not going back to an inferior version of myself,” said Lawrence.
Maria Jackson, who is headlining the event, said, “Recognizing where you come from, recognizing the people in the sacrifices that they made in order for us all to be here. As diverse as this is, in a state like this, in a time like this is very important.”