Augusta hosts annual pride event downtown
By Ashe Jewett | Staff writer
Augusta Pride Inc. hosted its annual pride parade and festival on Saturday, June 24.
The theme this year was “All the Colors of the Rainbow.” This was a recent change as according to the Augusta Pride Inc. website: “Over the last six years our Beats on Broad theme has focused on a color of the Gilbert Baker Pride flag. This year, we are bringing all the colors together and celebrating a unified symbol of our community: The Rainbow.”
The parade was part of a two-day event. On June 23 the organization hosted a music festival called “Beats on Broad” from 6 p.m. to midnight. Leading up to this event, the AU Multicultural Student Engagement Center passed out free T-shirts and tickets to Augusta University students.
The next day, the parade started at 10 a.m. on Jones Street and ended on Broad. Afterwards, walkers and spectators alike gathered on Broad Street for the Augusta Pride Festival which ended at 4 p.m. The festival consisted of live music, food and a variety of different vendors from all around the state.
During the parade, individuals and companies passed out a variety of items including, tissues, bead necklaces, stickers, pins, flags, protein bars, water bottles, and more.
Bradley Bohn, who walked with a group of drag queens, said: “[Walking in the parade] was honestly magical. My feet hurt, but honestly it was so much fun. I got to meet a lot of people.”
Parade spectator Feren Liddel was impressed with the crowd cheering on the parade participants.
“My favorite part of the parade was everyone on the corners cheering for the people walking,” Liddel said. “It was a wonderful experience to see so many people openly expressing themselves.”
Augusta University student Alejandro Meyers filmed the event for the Multicultural Student Engagement Center. When asked about the event he replied, “This was my first time going, for me it was awesome and the people were so friendly. I loved hearing the speakers and seeing all the other queer people.”
One of the booths from AU represented the Office of Diversity and Inclusion. This office provides resources for members of the LGBTQIA community as. well as serving other communities. One representative of this office was Rebecca Berger, the director of Testing and Disability Services, and member of Different Abilities WEB Network (DAWN).
“We give parents, faculty, and even students a network of resources,” Berger said of DAWN.
Another group that attended the festival was Georgia Equality. When asked what this organization does, Representative Dr. Chanel Hailey said, “we work with advocacy organizations, business, and even education systems to make sure there are LGBTQ inclusive policies within these organizations.” Dr. Hailey went on to explain that their purpose at the festival was to “raise awareness and spread information.”
Contact Ashe Jewett at asjewett@augusta.edu. Ashe is a freshman majoring in Communication.
Augusta Pride parade goes down Broad Street at 10th Street on a nice Summer Saturday afternoon in downtown. At the top of the page, the Augusta Pride Festival included a parade down Broad Street and live music. (photos courtesy of The Augusta Press)
AU students take part in the parade during the Augusta Pride Festival on Broad Street in downtown Augusta. (photo by Michael Holahan, DCM)
