Drag Queen story time, free music and more at Columbus LGBT pride festival
Across the nation, June is known as Pride Month — a time to celebrate the LGBT+ community.
In Columbus, Colgay Pride’s 2019 LGBT Pride Festival begins May 31 and lasts through the weekend, marking the city’s major celebration. The events are free and hosted in the 1100 block of Broadway.
May 31
▪ The festival kicks off with the Mr. and Ms. Columbus Georgia Pride Pageant from 7:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. The event will feature show entertainment and the crowning of a new king and queen.
June 1
▪ Saturday’s events begin with a welcome from Jeremy Hobbs, Colgay Pride’s executive director, at 11 a.m. Various city officials are set to speak in the early part of the day including Mayor Skip Henderson.
▪ DJ Shugga Ray and Jammin’ Cameron will perform at 1 p.m.
▪ The festival will host Drag Queen story time at 2 p.m. Ellen Javernick’s “What If Everybody Said That” will be the featured reading. Pratt and Whitney will provide refreshments.
▪ At 2:45 p.m. Forgiving Heart Church, All Saints Presbyterian, District Clinical Services and other community organizations will discuss the services they provide for the community.
▪ Four people will receive awards beginning at 3:15 p.m. Former Columbus Mayor and U.S. Senate Candidate Teresa Tomlinson will receive the Lifetime Achievement Leadership Award. Tomlinson is not expected to appear, Hobbs said. David Brazil (aka Blaze Starr) will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award in Entertainment and Mentoring. Harry Underwood will be named the LGBT Pioneer of the Year. Raymond Chambless will be honored for his “selfless service.”
▪ At 3:30 p.m. the Colgay Pride group photo will be taken, and at 4 p.m. will be the festival’s foot march.
▪ Christian music group, Diverse Desciples, will perform at 6 p.m Local artists Kyndall Carter and Tyrone McCoy will perform at 7 p.m. The big pride show starts at 8 p.m.
June 2
▪ Sunday is billed as the festival’s family day from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Representatives from Columbus churches will speak about unity and faith, and residents are welcome to speak as well. The goal is to reconnect people with faith and show love and understanding. It’s a short day to recap things people learned during the weekend, Hobbs, Colgay’s executive director said.
“We’ve got to do everything we can to bring people together,” Hobbs said about the festival.
Do you know of more Pride events this month? Email nwooten@ledger-enquirer.com to let us know.
This story was originally published May 30, 2019 at 2:33 PM.