Rutland County Pride Festival shines despite rain
Article originally published as “Rutland County Pride Festival shines despite rain” by Sophia Buckley-Clement
June 19, 2023
Rutland Herald
People dressed in raincoats and rainbows packed Center Street on Saturday to celebrate the first-ever Rutland County Pride Festival.
Hosted by Rutland County Pride, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting the well-being of the local LGBTQIA+ community, the all-day event featured some 60 vendors as well as live musical, spoken word, drag and dance performances throughout the day.
RCP Executive Director William Fourney-Mills said Monday morning that it was difficult to put into words how incredible it felt to see such a spectacular turnout, adding that he has already been hearing excitement for next year’s event.
“We were going into it with high hopes and expectations, but the weather made us nervous. At the end of the day though, the adage, ‘It takes a little rain to have some rainbows’ (was true),” Fourney-Mills said. “The outpouring of support we’re getting from people sending emails and Facebook messages about how it touched their hearts is amazing. Even though we were celebrating Pride, everyone felt welcome at our event.”
Even with showers throughout the day, Fourney-Mills estimated that several thousand people attended the event, exceeding organizers’ original expectations.
The celebration’s opening ceremony and ribbon cutting, which began at 10 a.m., featured speeches from several key RCP members, including Fourney-Mills and co-founder Todd Walker, as well as words from Alderwoman Kiana McClure and Mayor Mike Doenges.
“As mayor, I ran on a campaign of a welcoming and inclusive city. And that’s what we want to be here in Rutland. We want people to come to Rutland. We want them to be able to come and visit our community, live in our community, feel welcomed, respected and just part of the community that’s here. This is an event that proves that we are welcoming,” Doenges said.
Doenges also read a proclamation declaring June as Pride Month in Rutland City, adding that the LGBTQIA+ community has made significant contributions to the city’s cultural, social and economic fabric through the years.
Pride Festival Committee Co-Chair Moonshine Shorey also spoke at the opening ceremony and asked the crowd to take a moment to bask in how much the Rutland community deserves an event like this.
“We deserve the joy that we have (and) the love that we can share with people around us,” Shorey said at the event. “As I get emotional, it’s wonderful to be able to experience gay euphoria, not dysphoria. And we’re building that here in Rutland County.”
Saturday’s event also featured the presentation of the recently founded Shawn Towler Memorial Allyship Award, which Fourney-Mills said will be presented annually to an LGBTQIA+ ally who has stood out as an advocate in the community. This year’s winner was Shawn Towler’s sister, Donna Towler.
From face painting offered by Come Alive Outside, to Wonderfeet Kids’ Museum hosting its annual Donut Days fundraiser, to free immunizations courtesy of the Vermont Department of Health, organizations from across Rutland County and beyond were present to show support for RCP and the local LGBTQIA+ community.
Katherine Keniston, a representative from Trinity Episcopal Church, said that she attended Saturday’s event outfitted in her rainbow tutu to share that her place of worship is open to all and affirming of all identities.
“I think it’s very important that we know who our allies are, especially with churches. Traditionally, allyship has not always been the case with churches,” Keniston said. “We very much want to be part of the community.”
The Rutland Area NAACP also had a booth at Saturday’s event to support the local LGBTQIA+ community and celebrate Juneteenth a little early, according to Nadia Cox, a member of the local chapter and speaker at the event.
“We’re showing our advocacy for Rutland County Pride because it’s not just BIPOC people for the NAACP, it’s all people, all intersectionalities that need to be supported and advocated for. In order to create this world where everyone feels united, equal and supported, it’s very important that we have a presence here to support our LGBTQIA+ community,” Cox said. Saturday’s event ended with a drag showcase and dance party, featuring drag performers from across the state and Joslyn Fox from season six of “RuPaul’s Drag Race.”
Moving forward, Fourney-Mills said those interested in staying updated with RCP’s events and plans to start a pride resource center should keep an eye out on its website, www.rcpride.org online.
“I just want to thank everyone who has taken part in (this festival), but also all those who have worked so hard to pave the way and put the groundwork in so that we can have such a successful festival. We are truly excited to be able to do this now and going forward for years to come,” Fourney-Mills said at Saturday’s opening ceremony. “We look forward to many years of happiness and rainbows.”