After a successful inaugural Pride event in 2021, Emporia’s second installment of the annual celebration of the LGBTQ community was even bigger and better this weekend.
Activities kicked off Friday evening with the first Pride Live music festival in conjunction with the monthly First Friday Art Walk. The evening featured live performances of musical theatre selections, classic rock, pop music and much more.
First Friday Director Kaila Mock says they were proud to be a part of Pride festivities as inclusion is a core value of the First Friday organization.
One of the featured performers Friday was Emporia native and Kansas City resident Delano Mendoza. Mendoza says the community support for the festival shows the local community hears and understands the message of Pride.
Making its debut performance Friday night was Emporia’s Pride Choir under the direction of Emporia State University Choir Director Dr. Josh Donaldson. Choir member and Emporia native Justin Peterson says having a choir like this in Emporia helps de-stigmatize queer culture.
Activities continued into Saturday with a drag brunch at Union Street Social followed by the Pride parade which stretched down Commercial from Fourth to 12th Ave. Emporia’s Pride festivities concluded with a drag show inside of the Emporia Granada Theatre with more than 600 people in attendance.
Organizer Orion Turner says he is proud of the Emporia community and the tremendous amount of representation the weekend’s activities brought to the local LGBTQ community. He says visible representation is extremely important for everyone but especially for younger LGBTQ residents who may still be struggling with their identity.
Emporia High’s Gender and Sexual Alliance faculty advisor Sarah Bays says Emporia is setting a tremendous example for other communities across the local area.
In addition to the work of community organizers and Emporia High School’s Gender and Sexuality Alliance, several sponsors were involved in making Pride 2022 a reality. This includes Plum bazaar, journeys, gravel city roasters, union street social, Granada, Trox Gallery and Gifts, The Vault, MJs Instincts, Shelby’s Snack Shack and the Sweet Roller.
Photos by Chuck Samples and Tagan Trahoon/KVOE News
