Letter From the Editor: Aurora Pride

Summer may be drawing to a close, but there’s one more Pride happening before the cold sets in: Aurora Pride! This beachfront blast is always a lot of fun, and we can’t wait to join you in the water, on the sand, and by the stage. 

But just as all Pride celebrations are also protests and a time to reclaim the importance of queer representation, Aurora Pride is not all fun in the sun. This year, it’s even more important than ever to celebrate. 

Aurora is the most diverse city in Colorado, reminding me each time I visit one of the places where I grew up on the East Coast. And as such, they need a lot of support. Once again, a Black man from Aurora, Kilyn Lewis, was killed at the hands of police, and the community wants answers. And even as I write this, Aurora Pride is struggling against more conservative forces in the city to try and get funding. Not to mention the struggle we are all witnessing at the national level. If fear and right-wing nationalism takes over, there will be even less support for diverse communities like Aurora. 

All that is scary, but it also means we need both the protest and the party sides of Prides more than ever. So let us once again come together this summer in community, and celebrate Aurora, diversity, queerness, and the resilience of our beautiful community. 

–Addison Herron-Wheeler 

Photo courtesy of Veronica L. Holyfield