Omaha area celebrates Pride Week with parade, festival
Communities across the United States are celebrating Pride festivals during June. The Omaha-Council Bluffs metro area hosted its celebration last week.
The fact that people can publicly celebrate being gay, lesbian, transgender or bi-sexual is testament to how far our society has grown over the decades. I’m not saying things are peachy and wonderful. We’re far from that. The United States Supreme Court just ruled to legalize marriage equality, allowing same-sex marriages across the country.
I have had close friends who have had to basically live separate lives, for fear of being “found out as gay or lesbian.” Their jobs depended on this. Their safety depended on this “double life.”
Pride parades and festivals grew from an attack on gay men at New York City’s Stonewall Inn in 1969. Police raided the establishment. A year later, the first parade to honor and recognize gays and lesbians was held, according to the PBS documentary “Stonewall Uprising.”
Today, LGBT people aren’t 100 percent safe (none of us are), but life has improved. LGBT people can be open about themselves and their relationships. Same-sex marriage is legal in 36 states and 16 countries. Should the Supreme Court rule favorably, every state in the Union will have to recognize marriage equality. I’m not attempting to get on a soapbox, but I am explaining how far we’ve come as a country and society when people can celebrate openly.
The Omaha area has been celebrating Pride week since 1985, when 60 people gathered for a candlelight vigil to honor people who had died from AIDS.
Heartland Pride was formed in 2010. It holds its parade on the Iowa side of the Missouri River in Council Bluffs. The festival is hosted at Aksarben Village’s Stinson Park in Omaha.
More than 45 entries participated in the parade. The emcee said it was the most yet.
A group of motorcyclists kicked off the event.
The Grand Marshal followed. Ferial Pearson was this year’s marshal. Originally from Kenya, Pearson is a teacher at Omaha South High School and has worked with students as the sponsor of the Gay Straight Alliance and Unity Club.
Several Omaha companies were represented during the parade – Hyatt Hotels reservation center, Cox Communication, TD Ameritrade, PayPal, Linked In, Convergys, Union Pacific Railroad, Mutual of Omaha and the Veterans Administration among them.
Hyatt probably had the largest contingent of people marching in the parade.
The Convergys team carried a large multi-colored Pride flag.
A group of men displayed a Pride flag, as well as a rating system for each parade entrant. They were having a good old time.
“Drag Queens” were out and about promoting an upcoming musical at the Orpheum Theatre – “Kinky Boots.” They posed for photos with parade goers.
Churches and non-Christian (Humanist) organizations also participated in the parade.
A woman entertained watchers with baton twirling.
Following the parade, we checked out the festival in Omaha. A lot of vendors joined LGBT support organizations along “vendor row.” I really liked a stand where multi-colored necklaces were being sold for Pride support.
The thing that impresses me more and more about our Metro area is that people are willing to publicly support family, friends and co-workers. I believe almost every one of us knows someone who is LGBT. I can’t imagine how empty my life would be without my best friend and other close friends, who are gay.
It was great to see thousands of people at the parade and festival. We had a wonderful time and plan to attend future parades.
For more information nationally on Pride organizations, please visit these sites: www.interpride.org or www.pridefoundation.org.
In Nebraska/Iowa, please visit www.heartlandpride.org.
