Moab Pride Festival in the works

A community meeting has been announced to help plan the first annual Moab Pride Festival for the summer of 2011. All those interested in participating should attend the meeting at 6:30 p.m. on May 16 in the conference room at the Moab City Library.

There is no date yet for the festival, but late August and early September dates are being considered, said Amy Stocks, who is helping head the planning committee. Stocks, a Moab native, said there’s a vibrant and emerging gay community, but there’s still work to be done to help with awareness and education.

“It all came about from a fake news story from The Onion about a town throwing a Pride Parade for one person. I posted the story on my Facebook and asked when my parade would be,” Stocks said. “You would not believe the overwhelming response. Everyone wanted to participate.”

Two years ago, Stocks helped start a queer social group called Equality Moab and they held a variety of activities such as bowling and potluck dinners.

“It can still be tough for queer people in Moab, remember we’re originally a farming and mining town,” Stocks said. “But people are starting to come out and there’s a burgeoning class of queer businesswomen in Moab.”

The festival would be very family-friendly and be used to help raise awareness about the gay community in Moab, Stocks said.

“I especially want to help young people and people who feel like they’re the only gay person in Moab,” Stocks said.

The meeting will be held to help decided the exact format for the festival, and topics such as the possibility of a parade and other events will be discussed, she said. For more information, go to the Moab Pride Festival Facebook Page and watch QSaltLake.com for updates.

You Should Go…

WHAT: Moab Pride Festival Community Planning Meeting
WHEN: Monday, May 16
WHERE: Moab City Library, 300 E. Center St.
INFO: Moab Pride Festival Facebook Page