OKLAHOMA CITY (Free Press) — Tuesday the Oklahoma Metropolis Pleasure Alliance held a kick-off ceremony, the primary of a month of occasions to have fun Pleasure Month within the metro.
And, the Mayor of Oklahoma Metropolis, David Holt, issued a proclamation declaring June to be “Pleasure Month,” solely the second declaration of Pleasure Month and third of any declaration within the metropolis’s historical past.
“We’ve a lot to really be proud about due to the progress we now have made on this metropolis,” mentioned J.D. Baker, particular assistant to the Mayor who got here to learn the proclamation.
For many years, Pleasure Week and the Pleasure Parade had been celebrated among the many metro’s 2SLGBTQ+ neighborhood centered on a blocks-long strip close to N.W. thirty ninth Road and Pennsylvania Ave with membership homeowners and retailers being the catalyst.
However, in 2019 a brand new step ahead was achieved for the neighborhood when Mayor David Holt turned the primary mayor of Oklahoma Metropolis to to make an official proclamation of Pleasure Week and stroll within the Pleasure Parade together with a number of of the Metropolis Council members.
The 2023 pandemic yielded a digital set of applications however the Pleasure Parade and official in-person occasions had been cancelled.
And, so, this primary occasion in individual since 2019 gave the impression to be an actual celebration.
Rainbow Awards
The annual Rainbow Award recipients are:
- Sizzling Pink – Intercourse/Liberation – Adele Wolf for beginning the Oklahoma Burlesque Pageant and exhibiting excessive liberation and physique positivity by means of burlesque
- Purple – Life – Cynthia Garcia for tireless work by means of United We Dream for undocumented neighborhood members
- Orange – Therapeutic – The Heart at UCO for analysis, grant funding, and advocacy for points relating to ladies, gender, and sexuality
- Yellow – Daylight/visibility – Tyreke Baker, The Black Instances for exhibiting what activism by means of journalism appears like
- Inexperienced – Nature/environmentalism/conservation – Katrina Ward for beginning the twenty third Road Neighborhood Backyard final yr
- Turquoise – Magic/Artwork – Drag/Creatives/Artists – Am’re Ford for Arts in Motion and Fireplace in Little Africa
- Indigo – Serenity – Dr. Kate Arnold and Phil Burke at Selection Look after work to construct out actual security for queer individuals and supply gender-affirming well being assets
- Violet – Spirit – Adriana Legal guidelines, Collegiate Freedom and Justice Society for bringing the true which means of Pleasure to each protest and motion final summer time
“Friggin lovely”
Hannah Royce, President of the Oklahoma Metropolis Pleasure Alliance, kicked off the occasion.
“Completely satisfied Pleasure Month!” mentioned Royce to cheers and applause. “You guys look so friggin lovely on the market. Oh my goodness. After a yr of not seeing anybody, to see us all right here tonight is such an honor and such an thrilling place to be on June 1 2023.”
“Whereas it’s been troublesome and traumatic, to say the least, we as a corporation, maintain a lot gratitude for all that the final yr has proven us and introduced us collectively in quite a few methods,” Royce added.
2 spirit
The “2S” that has been added to LGBTQ+ stands for 2 spirit, a approach some indigenous individuals consult with having each masculine and female spirit.
“I’m a proud two-spirit Choctaw citizen,” mentioned Kendra Wilson-Clements. “I’ve my infants with me right here at present.” Wilson-Clements was referring to the Native American youth who she introduced along with her to the ceremony.
I’m going to present a hashtag #landback acknowledgement as a result of hashtag land again is reclamation and rematriation,” mentioned Wilson-Clements. “It’s all encompassing. Its land, ceremony, sovereignty, meals, water, tradition, traditions, language, our boys and males with lengthy braided hair, gender non-conforming two spirit individuals. That’s land again. That’s every little thing.”
The historical past of land acquisition by the U.S. authorities from the tribes that had unique declare to the land was recalled by the group.
A number of the youth gave testimony to their experiences as they navigate a bunch tradition that usually doesn’t perceive the deeper parts of Native American life.
“Act of insurrection”
Allie Shinn, govt director of Freedom Oklahoma, launched the Metropolis of Oklahoma Metropolis authorities leaders who had been on this system.
She recalled the historical past of and even ongoing suppression of life that goes past binary sexuality.
“Each single breath a queer or trans individual takes is a radical act, act of insurrection,” mentioned Shinn. “Each single breath {that a} queer trans individual takes is a revolution.”
“And, if that was all we ever did with our lives right here, then we’d be doing greater than so many individuals ever do to construct a greater world. However fortunately, queer individuals and trans individuals have all the time finished extra, we’ve by no means settled for much less.”
Shinn hinted on the current authorized struggles the brand new OKC Pleasure Alliance group has had with bar homeowners alongside The Strip who wished to cease them from utilizing a few of the acquainted terminology linked to Pleasure occasions in Oklahoma Metropolis.
The authorized motion got here when the parade was introduced as transferring to Scissortail Park as a substitute of alongside the Strip.
“So long as we proceed this relay race of insurrection, and delight exists, delight can’t be owned, it can’t be trademarked or taken. It can’t be sued into submission and even contained,” mentioned Shinn to loud applause.
To study extra: Judge orders Pride Alliance cannot use “OKC Pride” — only original org
Historical past
Ward 2 Oklahoma Metropolis Council member James Cooper recalled the historical past of suppression of individuals with apart from binary orientations within the metropolis. Cooper has change into the de facto historian of queer life in Oklahoma Metropolis a lot to the delight of a neighborhood lengthy closeted.
He identified the various methods those that had been caught in some other expression had been punished each by regulation and by public shaming within the dominant newspaper on the time, The Every day Oklahoman.
He additionally instructed concerning the first “Homosexual Pleasure” parade in Oklahoma Metropolis in 1988 and the way individuals related to the KKK tried to face of their approach of their march from N.W. thirty ninth and Classen to the Strip west of N.W. thirty ninth and Penn.
Cooper used the reminiscence of that occasion to encourage others at present to proceed to face up for an inclusive society.
“Bear in mind how afraid they had been and use their energy to information you,” mentioned Cooper to shouts from the gang. “By no means surrender on your self, this metropolis and our LGBTQ neighborhood.”
Launch!
This system closed with Lauren Zuniga presenting her poem “Rainbow Revolution.”
Actions will occur all by means of the month of June.
The Inaugural Downtown Pride Festival & Parade at Scissortail Park organized by the Oklahoma Metropolis Pleasure Alliance can be June 25-27, 2023. Paula Sophia and Mauree Turner would be the parade marshalls.
Zuniga’s poem
As soon as upon a time, they mentioned our love
was not match for sunshine and open air.
As soon as upon a time, we hid in strobe lights,
held one another in siren prepared dives,
whispered code phrases, flashed
membership playing cards, clung to whichever
privilege might promise extra security.
As soon as upon a time, in Oklahoma,
we misplaced our households and church buildings
once we selected to dwell our fact.
So we gathered in downtown basements
and Route 66 motor lodges, constructed our
personal church buildings, turned our family.
Raised cash for one another’s hospital payments,
authorized charges, funerals. Stitched a neighborhood
collectively like sequins on a robe.
We turned a rainbow right into a runway
and welcomed everybody to the present.
As soon as upon a time in Oklahoma Metropolis,
500 lesbian, homosexual, bisexual and trans
residents marched with allies down
thirty ninth Road and known as it a parade.
Raised sufficient fists into the air to
scare away the KKK and also you thought
solely Stonewall had legends.
As soon as upon a time, we mentioned MORE
FLAGS, MORE COLORS. We mentioned
MORE LETTERS and plus plus plus.
They known as us EXTRA, we mentioned
YES, AND. They known as us queer,
we mentioned, p.H.D.
As soon as upon a time we turned a battle
into a celebration and known as it PRIDE.
They mentioned provided that you keep in your avenue,
we mentioned, thanks, however we’ll take the entire metropolis.
In broad daylight. Our mighty spectrum
shimmering within the June solar. Stated, even
our state chook is two-spirit. Our dwelling,
this land of coronary heart and sorrow and storm.
Stated you may’t cover us, can’t resolve us,
can’t finish us. We’re the Rainbow Revolution.
— Lauren Zuniga
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Final Up to date June 2, 2023, 12:35 PM by Brett Dickerson – Editor
