By JAN McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
The Bowling Green community is being asked to join BGO Pride in making LGBTQ+ people feel welcome and safe at the group’s annual event in Wooster Green this summer. That support can be in the form of attending, volunteering, or sponsoring the rally.
BGO Pride members fear the current political climate could be a dark cloud over the annual event previously called the “rainbow rally.”
This year’s Pride Rally is planned for Saturday, June 28, from 12 to 5:30 p.m., in Wooster Green. As BGO Pride President Jordan Musgrave and member Beca Rios met recently to discuss the annual event, they shared their concerns.
“We want to make sure the community has a place to come where they can be themselves,” Musgrave said.
“We’re all about breaking stigma, to get people out of their houses,” Rios said.
The annual rally in Bowling Green celebrates the local LGBTQ+ community with music, food, art, vendors and non-profit agencies.
But this year, organizers are concerned about BGO Pride members feeling unwanted due to national attempts to rid the nation of diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, and the refusal to acknowledge transgender populations.
“It’s been scary for anyone in the LGBTQ+ community, especially trans members,” Musgrave said. “There’s solidarity in numbers. When your entire existence is under attack, you have a community here ready to stand up for you.”
There are even worries about taking extra measures to make sure the rally is safe. “Do we need to beef up security this year?” Rios wondered aloud.
“I think it’s really important that people can be their true, authentic selves,” Musgrave said. “We want them to feel the sense of community and know you’re not alone.”
“Especially during these trying times,” Rios said. “With people being ostracized for who they are.”
This will be the fourth annual BGO Pride rally, with attendance growing each year, Musgrave said. The inaugural event attracted 75 people, followed by 650 in the second year, and 758 in the third.
This year’s rally organizers are looking for more entertainment, vendors, food trucks, and non-profit groups to participate. It is hoped that the non-profit groups can again offer resources, such as free HIV testing, to those attending.
Volunteers are also being sought to help the day of the event.
More information and registration forms can be found at bgopride.org or on the group’s Facebook page at The BGOPride Association.
The non-profit organization is also looking for donations to help with the event’s expenses. “With the current political landscape we’re in, a lot of businesses are cutting funds or looking at things differently,” Musgrave said.
Rios and Musgrave are hopeful Bowling Green residents will rally with Pride members – some who are growing timid and fearful.
“It’s so empowering to see our community come together,” Rios said. “We want to make sure we are heard.”
The June 28 rally is free and open to the public. Updates will be posted to BGOPride’s Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1090695416414718/
Questions can be sent to BGOpride@gmail.com, and anyone interested in sponsoring the event can visit https://bgopride.org/give.
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