She said to battle the summer heat, the silent disco area is moving indoors across the street from Governor’s Square and a new water bottle area will be included outside.
On the stage at Governor’s Square will be a DJ followed by two drag shows, one from 6 to 7 p.m. and the second from 8 to 9 p.m. hosted by drag queen Roxie D. Mocracy.
In between the drag shows Madame GiGi’s Outrageous French Cancan Dancers will perform.
“We ask them to keep their music G or PG rated, because a very large number of people who attend the festival bring their kids,” said Duane Gordon, the spokesperson and committee co-chair with Middletown pride. “It’s a family event. People both queer families and allies bring their kids to come out and have a good time.”
There will also be vendors lining the street, organizations, food, crafts, art for sale and free activities for all ages including face painting, balloon animals, face glitter and temporary hair coloring.
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
The businesses around the event will be offering discounts and drink specials.
Gordon said they’ve been doing the Pride festival once a year for six years and this past year they received feedback from people that there are no opportunities in Middletown for the queer community to socialize and build their network.
In 2008, while he was CEO of the Middletown Community Foundation, Gordon said he remembers being the first openly gay man in an publicly facing position in the community.
“We did find pockets of acceptance and celebration and slowly, as people got to know us, quite a few of them changed their minds and progressed in their own beliefs,” Gordon said.
Now, the Middletown Pride festival is the oldest in Butler County and it has expanded past the designated month of June with events planned for all 12 months.
“They wanted more activities, and we had seen Cincinnati pride over the last few years expand and do pride night events and different functions throughout the year, instead of just during pride month in June,” Gordon said. “And so we decided that we wanted to make those opportunities available for residents in our community as well.”
The rest of the year will include a game night in July, a FAFSA event in August, drag Bingo, showing of the “Rocky Horror Picture Show” in October, Trans-giving and “Don we now our gay apparel” Christmas caroling in December.
The money raised through the sponsorships and the festival activities will go to funding the second year of monthly activities.
“These events are so much fun,” Johnson said. “I’m a proud ally, and it makes my heart feel so happy to have a safe place for people to be their their genuine selves. And it just makes all the time and the effort worth it and getting to meet new people. These are the rewards that we get. They’re very tangible. They truly are.”
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