MoCo Pride Party To Celebrate Gay Pride Sans Corporate Interests

ROCKVILLE, MD — June is a month-long celebration of LGBTQIA+ pride filled with music, cheer, and vibrant colors. And while these festivities center around love and acceptance, some activists argue they have become too corporate.

The MoCo Pride Center, a Kensington-based nonprofit that serves Montgomery County's LGBTQIA+community and its allies, wants to change that. On Saturday, June 29, the organization is holding its first MoCo Pride Party at Rockville Town Square — without corporate interests involved.

"Some of my friends and activists have commented on Pride events being more like a large commercial with a rainbow sticker slapped on it for 'X corp,' and I wanted to make sure that this was completely focused on the community rather than on any one entity," said Phillip Alexander Downie, a party organizer and MoCo Pride Center board member.

At Saturday's community-funded event, revelers can enjoy live entertainment, outdoor games, food and drink vendors, and resources from local queer organizations. The headliner will be Miss Peppermint, drag superstar and runner-up of the wildly popular reality TV series competition "RuPaul's Drag Race."

"This Pride party, like so many Pride events, should just be an expression of ourselves, and we want everyone to come and be their most authentic, true self," Downie said. "We want every loving person to come. This is for all loving queer people and allies."

Downie adds that representation, especially for queer and trans people of color, is crucial to the success of MoCo Pride Party.

"Representation is so important, especially when you don't have a familial or community support system. There are so many queer people of color, and specifically, trans people of color, who don't see representation in the media, workplace, or any facet of their everyday life. Subsequently, futures don't seem as bright, and every day can be a literal battle for one's life," Downie said. "So, when designing this event, I wanted to showcase the most underserved populations of the queer community. Black trans women of color, trans and non-binary people, queer black women, and queer people of color."

Scheduled to take place at Rockville Town Square, MoCo Pride Party will also mark the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots — the catalyst for the gay rights movement.

In the early hours of June 28, 1969, New York City police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay club located in Greenwich Village. The raid sparked a riot and led to six days of protests and violent clashes with law enforcement outside the bar on Christopher Street and in nearby Christopher Park.

"The 2019 MoCo Pride Party is going to be a fantastic celebration to close out pride month," said Evan Glass, the county's first gay councilmember. "This will be an opportunity to
commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots and recognize the beautifully diverse
community we call home."

Unlike many parties and festivals, MoCo Pride Party, which will benefit the MoCo Pride Center, runs on a sliding-scale.

Here's how it works: everyone and anyone is welcome to attend Saturday's celebration. General admission starts at $7.50, but you can pay whatever you can afford — even if it's nothing.

Downie says it's all about accessibility.

"I wanted this Pride to be as accessible as possible, to as many people as possible. So there are signers (and) interpreters, and an accessible area near the stage to enjoy the entertainment," Downie said. "The event is metro and public transit accessible and is one block from Rockville Metro station where there is a pedestrian bridge for easy access."

The celebration at Rockville Town Square will take place from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m.

To learn more about MoCo Pride Party, and to buy tickets, click here.