Pride Month 2023

PRIDE

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JUNE 2023

PARADE PRESENTING SPONSORS:

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Celebrating Flagstaff’s LGBTQIA+ community throughout June with a Pride festival, parade, and more!

A sea of rainbows

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In recent months, we have seen a dramatic regression of LGBTQ+ rights in state legislatures all across the country.

In Arizona alone, the right-wing majority has introduced a series of bills (SB 1001, 1005 and 1040) that threaten teachers and school administrators who provide support and affirmation to queer students with litigation. While these bills are expected to be vetoed by the governor, they signal a growing hostility towards the LGBTQ+ community and create a sense of urgency as we begin to celebrate Pride Month.

This year, Flagstaff Pride is answering this call for urgency with a Pride in the Pines festival that is bound to be bigger than ever. Staged for another year at the Thorpe Park softball fields, the festival will feature a plethora of family-friendly activities and performances followed by an after party at the Orpheum Theater, but the event that’s got everyone talking is the inaugural Pride Parade.

Led by former Flagstaff mayor Coral Evans, the parade will weave through downtown and make an unmistakable statement that the northern Arizona LGBTQ+ community is here and will not be ignored. It’s an exciting and necessary addition to the already exciting and necessary festivities of Pride in the Pines, and with this special section, the Arizona Daily Sun expresses its support as Flagstaff celebrates Pride Month and pays tribute to the ongoing struggle for equity, diversity and love.

On page four, readers will find a wonderful feature story on the Pride Parade and the message it means to send; on page six, we have compiled a helpful guide that readers can reference as they seek to improve their use of proper language; and on page seven, a list of northern Arizona resources is available to help the LGBTQ+ community find the right people to reach out to when help is needed.

With that, it is my pleasure to introduce the Arizona Daily Sun’s Pride Month special section.

FLAGSTAFF’S FIRST PRIDE PARADE MARKS PROMISING FUTURE FOR NORTHERN ARIZONA PRIDE ASSOCIATION

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SEA OF

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There’s a word Deb Taylor uses often when describing Flagstaff Pride: evolving.

The current president of Northern Arizona Pride Association (also known as Flagstaff Pride) is set to finish her six-year term at the LGBTQIA2S+ organization’s helm, with longtime board member Zane Jacobs ready to take her place in June. At the precipice of this exciting change–both Jacobs and Taylor are quick to sing each other’s praises and what they each bring to the organization–is another illustrious event, Flagstaff’s inaugural Pride parade.

“It’s the first one ever in Flagstaff,” Taylor said.“So it’s monumental and historical. We are actually creating history here, and it is important because [the parade] means visibility.”

The June 17 Pride in the Pines festival will take on a similar shape to previous years’ , with a jam-packed day of drag shows (there

will be 36 drag performers with their own dedicated stage, including those of RuPaul fame), food, dancing, access to and information on various local LGBTQIA2S+ resources and an afterparty at the Orpheum Theater.

The parade will kick off the festivities at 9 a.m. It will follow the same route as the fourth of July and Holiday Parade of Lights processions, shutting down much of downtown in both a symbolic and very real push to be seen and heard.

“This ‘visibility’ is especially important. We are your family members, we are company owners here in town, we are part of this community and a large part of this community and we are celebrating.” Jacobs said.“And it’s about time, after 27 years, it’s about time we are doing a parade.”

The first ever Pride in the Pines amassed just a handful of people at Fort Tuthill County Park while last year’s ticket sales tallied well into the thousands.

The parade also comes at a time when an-

ti-trans legislation has become increasingly prevalent, both in Arizona and across the nation.

“The LGBTQIA2S+ community is here and they need to be recognized as the vibrant community that they bring to Flagstaff; what they bring to the community as far as work and momentum. The parade is also about equity, it’s about celebrating who you are, especially with all the [anti-trans] bills being passed,” Taylor said.“This parade is a statement.”

According to the Human Rights Campaign, as of this article’s print date, the Arizona Legislature had advanced a series of bills that, while expected to be vetoed upon reaching governor Katie Hobbs’ desk, represent growing anti-trans sentiment in the state.

SB 1001 would make it illegal for teachers and other school employees to use the pronouns of a trans or non-binary student without written parental permission. SB 1005, would leave schools open to “threat

DURR

of litigation for providing supportive and affirming spaces for LGBTQ+ students,” and SB 1040 would ban trans students and school employees from using restrooms that match their gender identity; SB 1040 would also allow people to sue schools if they share a restroom or “similar school facility” with a trans person.

“It adds a whole new layer to this year’s Pride in the Pines motto,‘Together We March Again,’” Taylor said, pointing then to the 1969 Stonewall Uprising.

For Taylor and Jacobs both, it is crucial to reiterate that the first ever Pride was a riot against police discrimination against queer people, not to mention it was pioneered by two trans women. The ensuing marches on Christopher Street, where the New York City bar was located, will always remain at the root of Pride and its parades–even the ones as far away as Northern Arizona.

“What does this parade represent?” Taylor said.“It represents the very first Pride parade. It represents Stonewall, the Compton Cafeteria Riots, it represents Harvey Milk, it represents everybody.”

The parade is also the result of a new strategic plan by the organization, devel-

ABOVE: A participant holds a flag during the 51st Chicago Pride Parade in Chicago, Sunday, June 26, 2022.

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oped with the help of Phoenix Philanthropy Group. The result of about 40 hours of interviews with stakeholders and community members, the plan is based on what respondents said they wanted to see from the organization.

“We took all that information, the good and the bad, and we talked about it We asked ourselves ‘What are we doing right and wrong?’ and it was really eye opening,” Taylor said.“We wanted people’s opinion and we listened”

“And I think we are starting to reflect that now,” Jacobs added.“I think the community sees it too.”

A mission statement, also a part of the strategic plan, reads:

“We envision a Flagstaff and Northern Arizona where LGBTQIA2S+ individuals are welcomed, supported, and able to live safely, authentically, and free from discrimination, prejudice, and bias.”

“Literally, we must march,” the document states

“All this comes to our ultimate goal of, ‘What do we want to be when we grow up?’” Jacobs said.“We want to be an organization that is the foundation to lift our stakeholders, our community and our brothers and sisters, young, old and in between, to give them the resources that they need”

For him, that lifting up comes in the form of a long-awaited community resource center, which becomes more of a reality every day. Medical and mental health care, and other resources would be just a small portion of the center, which Jacobs hopes can become a hub for all of northern Arizona That and an ongoing focus on diversity will be central to his presidency.

“It is extremely important. We BIPOC and queer people of color are not always represented in these festivals. Yet Flagstaff is a border town on the largest reservation in the United States, but we haven’t always seen ourselves on stage,” he said

Both Jacobs, who has also spent a great deal of his career working with the Shadows Foundation (which provides financial assistance to people living with affected by life threatening disease), and Taylor started at Flagstaff Pride as volunteers and have since become crucial pieces of the organization. They have also become close friends And while Taylor leaving her post as president is bittersweet, both champion each other and

the change, plus all that the future holds for Flagstaff Pride.

“I am excited, nervous of course, but mostly excited just to see it evolve,” Jacobs said “And hopefully I can take [Pride] just even a part of the way Deb has taken it. I think it will be possible because the board is amazing, we are a family and we support each other I can see the resource center, I

can see the allyship of Northern Arizona I couldn’t be more proud to be part of this community and to call Flagstaff home.”

The first ever Flagstaff pride parade kicks off at 9 a m on Saturday, June 17th, with former Flagstaff mayor Coral Evans taking

on the role of grand marshal

“My hope is to see this parade be like the 4th of July parade but with nothing but a sea of rainbows and trans flags,” Jacobs said.

For more information on Flagstaff Pride in the Pines 2023 including location, start time and more, visit flagstaffpride org Flagstaff Pride will also be taking over Heritage Square on

EVENING STANDARD // GETTY IMAGES

The events of Stonewall led to the creation of the GLF, a group that organized the Christopher Street Liberation Day in New York in 1970 now considered the first Pride parade. It started with only a few hundred people, but by the time the group reached Central Park, thousands were marching for LGBTQ+ equality

One person attending the 2022 Pride in the Pines takes shelter under a rainbow flag as rain pours down on the festivities at Thorpe Park.

RACHEL GIBBONS, ARIZONA DAILY SUN

A Proud to Be Me T-shirt flaps in the wind as rain threatens to let down on the 2022 Pride in the Pines festival at Thorpe Park.

RACHEL GIBBONS, ARIZONA DAILY SUN

Treating people with respect means understanding and applying proper terminology and use of pronouns. The following list was compiled using resources from Illinois Wesleyan University’s LGBTQ+ 101 list The list has been shortened to fit print margins. For a full version, visit their website.

Agender

Adj. : a person who sees themselves as existing without gender. Sometimes called gender neutrois, gender neutral, or genderless.

Ally

A (typically straight and/or cisgender) person who supports and respects members of the LGBTQ community.

Bicurious

A curiosity toward experiencing attraction to people of the same gender/sex

Bigender

A person who fluctuates between traditionally “woman” and “man” gender-based behavior and identities, identifying with two genders (or sometimes identifying with either man or woman, as well as a third, different gender)

Bisexual

A person who experiences attraction to some men and women. 2 adj. : a person who experiences attraction to some people of their gender and another gender. Bisexual attraction does not have to be equally split, or indicate a level of interest that is the same across the genders an individual may be attracted to Often used interchangeably with “pansexual”.

Cisgender

A gender description for when someone’s sex assigned at birth and gender identity correspond in the expected way (e.g., someone who was assigned male at birth, and identifies as a man). The word cisgender can also be shortened to “cis ”

Cisnormativity

The assumption, in individuals and in institutions, that everyone is cisgender, and that cisgender identities are superior to trans identities and people. Leads to invisibility of non-cisgender identities

Dead name

The name given at birth/legal name of someone who has since changed their name or goes by a different name

Feminine-presenting; masculine-presenting

A way to describe someone who expresses gender in a more feminine/masculine way Often confused with feminine-of-center/masculine-of-center, which generally include a focus on identity as well as expression.

Femme

Someone who identifies themselves as femi-

WORDS MATTER

Terms, pronouns and vocabulary to add to your everyday dictionary

nine, whether it be physically, mentally or emotionally Often used to refer to a feminine-presenting queer woman or people.

Fluid(ity)

Generally with another term attached, like “gender fluid” or fluid sexuality, fluid(ity) describes an identity that may change or shift over time between or within various identities.

Gender binary

The idea that there are only two genders and that every person is one of those two.

Gender expression

The external display of one’s gender, through a combination of clothing, grooming, demeanor, social behavior and other factors, generally made sense of on scales of masculinity and femininity Also referred to as “gender presentation.”

Gender identity

The internal perception of an one’s gender, and how they label themselves, based on how much they align or don’t align with what they understand their options for gender to be. Often conflated with biological sex, or sex assigned at birth

Gender non-conforming

A gender descriptor that indicates a non-traditional gender expression or identity (e.g., “masculine woman”). 2 adj. : a gender identity label that indicates a person who identifies outside of the gender binary. Often abbreviated as “GNC.”

Genderqueer

1 adj. : a gender identity label often used by people who do not identify with the binary of man/woman 2 adj : an umbrella term for many gender non-conforming or non-binary identities (e.g., agender, bigender, genderfluid).

Heteronormativity

The assumption, in individuals and/or in in-

stitutions, that everyone is heterosexual and that heterosexuality is superior to all other sexualities. Leads to invisibility and stigmatizing of other sexualities: when learning a woman is married, asking her what her husband’s name is. Heteronormativity also leads us to assume that only masculine men and feminine women are straight

Heterosexism

Behavior that grants preferential treatment to heterosexual people, reinforces the idea that heterosexuality is somehow better or more “right” than queerness, and/or makes other sexualities invisible

Outing

verb : involuntary or unwanted disclosure of another person’s sexual orientation, gender identity, or intersex status.

Pansexual

A person who experiences sexual, romantic, physical and/or spiritual attraction for members of all gender identities/expressions. Often shortened to “pan ”

PGPs

Preferred gender pronouns. Often used during introductions, becoming more common as a standard practice. Many suggest removing the “preferred,” because it indicates flexibility and/ or the power for the speaker to decide which pronouns to use for someone else.

Queer

An umbrella term to describe individuals who don’t identify as straight and/or cisgender. 2 noun : a slur used to refer to someone who isn’t straight and/or cisgender Due to its historical use as a derogatory term, and how it is still used as a slur many communities, it is not embraced or used by all LGBTQ people.

QPOC / QTPOC

Stand for queer people of color and queer and/ or trans people of color

Sex assigned at birth (SAAB)

A phrase used to intentionally recognize a person’s assigned sex (not gender identity). Sometimes called “designated sex at birth” (DSAB) or “sex coercively assigned at birth” (SCAB), or specifically used as “assigned male at birth” (AMAB) or “assigned female at birth” (AFAB): Jenny was assigned male at birth, but identifies as a woman.

Sex reassignment surgery (SRS)

Used by some medical professionals to refer to a group of surgical options that alter a person’s biological sex. “Gender confirmation surgery” is considered by many to be a more affirming term In most cases, one or multiple surgeries are required to achieve legal recognition of gender variance. Some refer to different surgical procedures as “top” surgery and “bottom” surgery to discuss what type of surgery they are having without having to be more explicit.

Third gender

For a person who does not identify with either man or woman, but identifies with another gender. This gender category is used by communities that recognize three or more genders, both contemporary and historic, and is also a conceptual term meaning different things to different people who use it, as a way to move beyond the gender binary

Transgender

A gender description for someone who has transitioned (or is transitioning) from living as one gender to another An umbrella term for anyone whose sex assigned at birth and gender identity do not correspond in the expected way (e g , someone who was assigned male at birth, but does not identify as a man).

Transition / transitioning

Referring to the process of a transgender person changing aspects of themselves (appearance, name, pronouns, or making physical changes to their body) to be more congruent with the gender they know themselves to be (as opposed to the gender they lived as pre-transitioning).

Transphobia

The fear of, discrimination against, or hatred of trans people, the trans community, or gender ambiguity

Two-spirit

A term traditionally used within Native American communities to recognize individuals who possess qualities or fulfill roles of both feminine and masculine genders.

Ze / zir

/ “zee”, “zerr” or “zeer”/ – alternate pronouns that are gender neutral and preferred by some trans people. They replace “he” and “she” and “his” and “hers” respectively Alternatively some people who are not comfortable/do not embrace he/she use the plural pronoun “they/ their” as a gender neutral singular pronoun.

LGBTQIA+ RESOURCES, ORGANIZATIONS AND SPACES

FLAGSTAFF

Peaks Pride

Flagstaff’s premier LGBT volunteer service organization. Promoting Equality through Acts of Kindness and Service.

Contact: www.PeakPride.org

Liminal

Nonprofit café and community center PWYC (pay what you can). Liminal offers a safe space and free community resources including all-ages clothing, art supplies for adults and children, stationery items and working materials, harm reduction kits, radical books and zines, a community fridge and a public computer with free printing. The space also hosts workshops, performances, celebrations, community services and many kinds of art and culture gatherings.

Contact:

www.liminalflagstaff.com

Beacon Unitarian Universalist Congregation

A welcoming congregation for everyone.

Contact: 928-779-4492

www.BeaconUU.com

First Congregational Church Flagstaff

FCCF is an Open and Affirming church, which means LGBT people are welcome in its full life and ministry!

Contact: (928) 774-0890

www.FCCFlagstaff.org

Congregation Lev Shalom

Looking for a Jewish community where you can be yourself? Congregation Lev Shalom, a Reform congregation and the only egalitarian temple in Flagstaff, invites you to share the journey of life with us. We are a very downto-earth community where

Who to call

„ National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-TALK (8253). Veterans press 1.

„ Text TALK to 741741. Text with a trained counselor from the crisis text line for free 24/7.

„ The Trevor Project, Trevor lifeline available 24/7. 1-866-488-7386

„ Trans Lifeline Support for transgender people by transgender people. 1-877-565-8860.

„ SAGE LGBT Elder Care Hotline. Peer support and local resources for older adults. 1-888-843-LGBT (5428).

„ The LGBT National Hotline Peer support and local resources for all ages. 1-888-843-4564.

your spirit can soar. All are welcome: Interfaith couples, individuals, families, seniors, the LGBTQ community, single parent families, Jews-bychoice, Empty Nesters, second-home owners…you.

Contact: (928) 527-8747 www.levshalomaz.org/

Flagstaff High School

Gay Straight Alliance

(GSA) Club

The Gay Straight Alliance is a club dedicated to providing a safe space for students involved in the LGBT+ community on our campus.

Flagstaff LGBTQIA+

Facebook Group

A facebook group for those who identify as LGBTQIA+ in the Flagstaff area

REGIONAL RESOURCES Navajo Nation Pride

The historic & largest Indigenous Pride celebration in the country. Honoring LGBTQIA+ relatives and reaffirming the sacredness of their identities.

Contact: 505-569-1516

www.navajonationpride.com

Arizona Trans Youth & Parents Organization (AZTYPO)

Arizona Trans Youth and Parent Organization is a support

Northland Cares

To improve the quality of life of those infected by HIV/AIDS in Northern Arizona.

Contact: 3112 Clearwater Dr., Suite A Prescott, AZ 86305 and 203 S Candy Lane, Suite 4A Cottonwood, AZ 86326 928-776-4612 www.NorthlandCares.org

PFLAG.org

Equality Arizona

A non-profit organization, made up of both a 501c3 (Equality Arizona) and 501c4 (Equality Arizona Action) tax exempt organizations. We use a variety of strategies to build the political and cultural power of LGBTQ Arizona

Contact: www.equalityarizona.org/

Payson Pride

group to empower children, teens and their families in a supportive and inclusive environment in which gender may be freely expressed and respected. A family support group for families with gender diverse children. AZTYPO provides a supportive environment for children, adolescents, and their families to explore issues of gender identity.

Contact: contact@aztypo.org www.aztypo.org/

Greater Yavapai County Coalition

A non-partisan organization that provides an umbrella of support to members, family, friends and allies of the LGBTQ+ community by referring to a range of inclusive services, support, activities, and community connections.

Contact:

303 E. Gurley St., #441 Prescott, AZ 86301 928-583-3514 www.az-gycc.org

NAZGEM

Looking for Transgender support? NAZGEM is Northern Arizona’s Gender Mentors Network. NAZGEM hosts free monthly support meetings every fourth Friday at 7 p.m. and shares resources, support and information all month long!

Contact: 216 E. Gurley St. Prescott, AZ 86301 gyccinfo@gmail.com

PFLAG is the first and largest organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) people, their parents and families, and allies.

Contact: 202-467-8180

This Pride Festival helps to raise positive awareness of LGBTQ+ in the Payson and surrounding communities

Contact: PaysonPride.com

Sedona Pride

At Sedona Pride, we support our LGBTQ community one person at a time.

Contact: 480-712-8005 www.SedonaPride.org

Granite

Peak Unitarian Universalist Congregation

Rev. Patty Willis, Minister (and Wedding Officiant). Where all are welcomed, encouraged and nurtured… a welcoming congregation and event site.

Contact: 882 Sunset Avenue Prescott, AZ 86305 928-541-0000 granitepeakuu@gmail.com www.PrescottUU.org

Trans Queer Pueblo

In our organization we create community solutions to solve our basic needs, we cultivate the leadership of LGBT people and migrants of color to transform our needs into community power and fight for social justice for all.

Contact: www.tqpueblo.org/

At North Country HealthCareitisour MISSION to provide affordable, accessible, quality primary careinan atmosphereofdignity and respect wherethe health and well-being of patients and community arepromoted through direct services, education, outreach, and advocacy.

At North Country HealthCare, our providers arecommitted to providing the highestquality caretothose who arepart of the LGBTQ+community.Request an appointment today for amedical, dentalorbehavioral health visit. We areheretoserve you!