DES MOINES — On the last day of LGBTQ History Month, One Iowa said that two Iowa cities hosted their first Pride festivities.
Orange City in northeastern Iowa. The city’s Pride faced some protest online, including criticism and calls to action from Iowa House Rep. Skyler Wheeler, Bob Vander Plaats of The Family Leader, and others. However, One Iowa reported, there were no in-person protesters. Orange City Pride was a huge success, drawing a larger crowd than expected.
Ames hosted its first pride celebration in October as well. Organizers in Creston also hosted a first-of-its-kind pride event earlier this summer. More and more Iowa communities are taking the first step to draw on LGBTQ history and show their Pride.
“Pride festivals provide a chance for LGBTQ Iowans to honor the spaces they’ve carved for themselves,” said One Iowa Executive Director Daniel Hoffman-Zinnel. “They shine a beacon of hope in communities that may not otherwise be welcoming, sending a signal that being LGBTQ is something to be celebrated. Even for those who aren’t able to participate, they can offer a great deal of comfort by showing closeted people they are not alone.”
