Great Lakes Bay Pride Festival Reimaged as “Pride at Home”

The Great Lakes Bay Pride planning team announced on May 26 a different format for the annual event. This year, “Celebrating Pride at Home,” will be a reimagined Pride Month celebration. In lieu of its traditional LGBTQ festival and after party, the group has planned a series of activities, displays, community service opportunities, and competitions. Organizers said “Great Lakes Bay Pride joins others throughout the world in the annual June Pride Month festivities, especially in this time of COVID-19 and local flooding. This reimagined Pride celebration unites us all to build a community that inspires engagement, equality and respect for all.”

Activities and events in June will include:

Yard Sign Campaign: Great Lakes Bay Pride will offer free yard signs sharing the Celebrating Pride at Home message to households throughout the region. There will be scheduled pick-up times at locations in Bay, Midland, Saginaw, and Isabella counties in early June.

Food Collection Drive: Great Lakes Bay Pride will hold a food collection drive in partnership with Hidden Harvest and St. John’s Episcopal Church, Midland, on Saturday, June 20th from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. in the church’s parking lot (405 N Saginaw Rd, Midland). Drop off your nonperishable food donations and collect your Celebrating Pride at Home yard sign. In order to ensure social distancing, you will not need to exit your vehicle for either of the above events.

Indoor/Outdoor Decorating: The team invites the community to Celebrate Pride at Home by decorating a window, porch, entryway or other area with a Pride theme. Participants should post their photos on Facebook with #GreatLakesBayPride2020, which enters them into a random drawing at the end of June. The winner will receive a Great Lakes Bay Pride gift bag.

“At all times of the year, the LGBT+ population faces a higher risk of social isolation, limited access to resources, and disparities when accessing healthcare. Connecting with fellow community members and allies is vital as we navigate our daily lives through this historic time. It is our duty to actively protect our vulnerable communities by limiting the spread of COVID-19 and helping our communities recover and rebuild,” said Scott Ellis, Executive Director of Perceptions, the parent organization of Great Lakes Bay Pride.