What does it mean to be Rooted in Liberation?

The Stonewall riots of 1969 were the catalyst to the LGBTQIA+ civil and human rights movements. Two of the leaders at Stonewall were Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, trans women of color. When we say rooted in liberation, we understand what the grandmother of Juneteenth, Opal Lee, said: “None of us are free until we’re all free.” Many in the queer community are not free. Trans and nonbinary people are under attack by state legislatures across the country, and BIPOC and Latinx queer people face intersectional discrimination that compounds the oppression white queer people face. For all of us to be truly free, we must engage in the work of queer liberation.

This summer, we updated our mission and vision to reflect this work, and defined our understanding of queer liberation as: “the dismantling of oppressive systems and structures that marginalize LGBTQIA2S+ individuals, fostering an environment where each individual has the ability to self-determine their identity and their path in life.” As reflected in our values, we believe that focusing on those most marginalized-indeed those who have often been the first to stand up for the equality and equity of LGBTQIA2S+ people-roots us in liberation for all of us.

And so, for our 2024 Festival, we are throwing it back to Stonewall. How are we doing that? Firstly, we have centered BIPOC, Latinx and Trans performers, who make up the vast majority of our performers this year. We also are elevating BIPOC, Latinx and Trans vendors through scholarshipping 10 vendors at 100% and 10 at 50%. Lastly, we are supporting BIPOC leadership by selecting BIPOC individuals to marshal our Welcoming Procession. We are also paying attention to the liberation of queer people with disabilities by providing ASL on the Mainstage, reducing vendor number to accommodate more space to move, and providing a shuttle for those with mobility challenges (unfortunately, a w/c lift van was not available Pride weekend).