BY GWYNETH LYONS
9th Grade LAHS Student
FLAP Council Member
The LGBTQ+ Pride Festival organized by Friends of Los Alamos Pride (FLAP) has been a great addition to the town. Specifically for youth, this festival, and the organization overall, has been extremely beneficial by giving kids the opportunity to learn more about the LGBTQ+ community. This gives students, from elementary to high school, a place to be themselves, learn about the history of pride, and so much more. For several years, the high school GSA (Genders and Sexuality Alliance) has worked to make the town more inclusive of queer youth, but the middle and elementary schools do not have a program to help kids questioning their gender or sexuality. So, by having this event, we can show queer youth that it is not only completely normal, but also not as scary as it may seem.
In addition to teaching children about Pride, this organization can also help parents, guardians, and extended family understand the LGBTQ+ community, and hopefully influence them to accept all sexualities and genders in general, specifically their child. In conclusion, this event can benefit people of all ages. Whether it’s questioning your gender, sexuality, or wanting to learn how to be a better ally, the Friends of Los Alamos Pride Organization can help.
We hope you will join us at the Pride Week June 8–14. There are many events on the schedule including Santa Fe drag band Hella Bella, a one-man show by trans man Quinn Fontaine called Hung like a Seahorse, a Rainbow Potluck hosted by One Los Alamos, and an Interfaith Round Table Discussion about religion and the LGBTQ+ community.
Pride Week will culminate with a family friendly Pride Festival on Friday, June 14, 4–7 p.m. at the grassy quad area next at Central Park Square. The Friday night concert at the pond is also sponsored by Pride. It will be a week to remember!
The next FLAP Pride organizing meeting is tomorrow, Thursday, May 16, 7pm at the Unitarian Church of Los Alamos, 1738 N Sage St.
To send monetary support to help LA Pride 2019 be fabulous, visit the LA Pride gofundme page and give whatever amount you can.
For more information, visit the website https://losalamospride.org/.