Denver PrideFest Goes Virtual in 2020

Clearly, this is going to be a Pride Season like never before. The global pandemic has totally shifted our worlds forever, and currently, our activism efforts are also being called on to support Black lives across the globe. And, while it may be easy to forget amid the protests and current events, COVID-19 is still very much with us, and PrideFest in Denver is still digital this year.

It’s easy to see that as a negative, to mourn the loss of our booths, our togetherness watching Pride entertainment, and our annual traditions at the local bars. But, as many are now pointing out on social media, 2020 could be a way to rethink Pride, community, allyship, inclusion, and so many other things. The Center on Colfax are taking this time to embrace making Pride more inclusive and getting back to basics.

Pride in Videos

“The community has been overwhelmingly positive,” explained Joe Foster, VP of development & communication at The Center On Colfax. “We were afraid that people would be angry that we had to go to this virtual format, but what we noticed on our social media is people being very positive. No one really knows what this is going to look like, and we’re learning every day. A lot of the feedback we’ve gotten is about how more people will be able to attend Pride now and ideas that will help us think outside of the box.”

This year, the PrideFest parade will be virtual, streamed live on Denver 7 and the internet so that folks of all kinds can participate and join in.

“Going on the live broadcast is going to keep it more accessible to people who may not have readily available access to the internet,” Foster pointed out. “So, that’s what we’re really excited about, to actually go old-school and use the television airwaves for this one as well.”

Foster also explained that The Center are now raising funds so that they can keep their doors open for many more years to come, as a big percentage of their revenue comes from a PrideFest that looks very different this year and won’t generate as much money.

“Denver PrideFest is produced by the Center on Colfax, and it accounts for half of our annual budget every year,” he said. “So, we are going to push out a fundraiser to try and raise $100,000 from individuals to ensure we can continue on with our programs.”

Remote but Still Visible

PrideFest may be on a screen instead of on the streets this year, but, as Rex Fuller, CEO of the Center on Colfax, explained, it’s still incredibly important to have Pride even if it doesn’t generate the same amount of money or personal connection, because visibility is key.

“Probably the most positive thing is that we’re continuing to do it, and one of the original goals of the Pride movement has just simply been about visibility. Wherever they are on the queer spectrum, many people experience things alone. And so, being able to see that there are other people that they might be able to relate to is a really important goal. While we’re not having the in-person festival that we’d like to have, I think that we’ve continued to be creative and have come up with the best solution that we can. It’s really positive, and I feel that people have really embraced it.”

There also won’t be any shortage of things to do, although they’ll all be happening at the bars that are reopening and in homes and backyards, not in one big, central location.

“We’re getting all the events up on our website and social media as soon as possible,” Fuller explained. “All told, we will end up having about 20 events happening over the weekend or in the days before. We were able to get real diversity in experience, and it’s been pretty exciting.”

Dykes Get Loud

Denver PrideFest wouldn’t be PrideFest without Denver Dyke March. Their march is an integral part of PrideFest, creating a space for lesbians, queer wxmen, butch-identified folks, and anyone who wants to march with the dykes to gather. And, even though the march is digital this year what better time to keep the togetherness and the action in Pride than now?

“It’s time to celebrate the Black, trans lives who started this movement,” said Dyke March organizer Onyx Steele. “They helped pay for us and helped us get through Stonewall. At this moment in time, it’s super important that the queer community, especially our activists and leaders, respond and offer them the same respect and the same holding space that they did for us.”

Steele wants to make space for the most marginalized in our queer community, and like Fuller, she also echoes that we should be taking every opportunity to reach out community, even if we have to do using virtual means.

“The biggest thing was, we didn’t want to be amongst the Pride events that canceled altogether and had nothing to offer the community,” he added. “We saw an opportunity for there to be a virtual Pride and some sort of celebration, a way to honor and celebrate the community, and I’m proud of the committee this year. They’ve definitely stepped up and shown a lot of respect for the local folks here in Denver and have offered quite a bit of help and support.”

This year, the Dyke March will get an hour of airtime from The Center. In that hour, they will share with us their identities, their personalities, and what they have to offer the queer community. They also teamed up with Black Lives Matter 5280 to produce the video, and are organizing an additional, in-person march in conjunction with Black Lives Matter, which took place Sunday, June 14.

“We definitely wanted to honor the community,” Steele continued. “The Dyke March has always been a place for unheard voices in our community, and we rely heavily on our community, so it would be strange if we did some sort of Dyke March event without involving them. We definitely reached out a lot and tried to get as much of the community that wanted to participate as possible. We have a really cool band out of California that wrote this song; it’s really empowering and kind of appropriate all around for Pride and the current political climate. So, we’ll be airing things from many in the community, as well as that video.

Be on the lookout for merch this year from the Dyke March, and follow The Center on Colfax for all of the Pride happenings.  

*Photos provided by The Center on Colfax