2026 NYC Pride Guide - Magazine - Page 31
Pratville, Alabama
In 2023, the first-ever Pride in Prattville, Alabama —a small, unpermitted picnic by a creek—was ambushed
by a white nationalist group. But this hateful intimidation tactic backfired, and local Pride organizers doubled down on their efforts to create safe spaces for their local LGBTQIA+ community and allies.
The next year, they rented space in a public park and held a 2,500-person festival. Later that year, they
brought and won a case seeking an injunction allowing them to participate in the city’s local Christmas
parade.
IT MAY NOT BE A SMOOTH PATH AHEAD, BUT THEY ARE FORGING AHEAD TO MAKE
CLEAR: WE WILL NOT BE ERASED.
Waverly, Iowa
In February 2025, as Iowa became the first state to rescind nondiscrimination protections from trans people,
local organizers in Waverly, Iowa – a small, outdoorsy town, were planning to bring their first-ever Pride
celebration to life.
Despite a letter to Waverly City Council urging them to cancel the event, organizers planned a Pride “boat
float” for participants to canoe and kayak along the Cedar River.
A state bill targeting DEI initiatives presented a new roadblock to funding, but Hansen and their colleagues
were determined to not only proceed with their plans - they want to make Pride an annual space for
LGBTQIA+ joy, celebration, and community.
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