It’s official: New West residents are proud of Pride.
Everywhere we go, it seems, the city is sprouting rainbows.
Businesses are decorating their windows, residents are sporting T-shirts and pins and flags in all kinds of ways, and everyone’s buzzing about the week of fun that is New West Pride Fest.
It’s heartening to hear from Pride organizers just how popular the festival has already been. To know that events ranging from a community brunch to a drag show have all been popular enough to attract lineups says something about just how important this festival is to the community.
We can only imagine the turnout for the big street party this weekend – surely it’s not outrageous to expect thousands (or even tens of thousands) of folks to pour into our downtown for the occasion.
And how about social media? Pride, it seems, has become virtually the only thing people in New West are talking about. Everything that’s posted about Pride on Facebook or Twitter is liked and shared and passed along again and again and again.
People from all walks of life are taking photos of rainbow-themed storefronts, of the Pride flag-raising at city hall, of the rainbow crosswalk on Columbia Street, and sharing them with messages of support.
And that’s a beautiful thing.
Undoubtedly, there are people out there who aren’t quite as comfortable with the whole idea – for whom the concept of Pride Fest and all it entails is, perhaps, still foreign or somewhat to be feared.
Hopefully, the spirit of joy, inclusion and diversity that’s being celebrated so wholeheartedly around the city will infect those people as well.
New West Pride has made a point of being an inclusive festival, offering something for every age group, from kids and families right up to seniors.
And the community, in response, has apparently decided to embrace Pride.
That makes us proud to be part of this city.
Rainbows are awesome.
And love wins again.
