First local LGBTQ Pride March date set
Wimberley will have its first LGBTQ Pride March on September 21. The march was presented to the Wimberley City Council last week, though approval from the council was not required for the march’s route.
LGBTQ stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Transgender and Queer.
The presentation was made to the city council at the June 6 meeting, a month which marks the 50 year anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising.
“Fifty years ago in 1969 what became known as the Stonewall Uprising occurred in New York City,” David Martin, with the LGBTQ Pride Planning Committee, said. “After many years of harassment, violence, oppression and systematic discrimination, LGBTQ patrons at the Stonewall Greenwhich Inn in New York decided that enough was enough. Ignited by yet another raid on the Stonewall Inn on Saturday, June the 28th, there followed days of civil unrest and the modern movement for equality and justice began. Since then, pride marches have become a symbol of remembering those struggles, a way of moving forward and importantly a way for those who continue to feel marginalized, oppressed and discriminated against because of their gender and their sexuality to come together to remember, celebrate, show solidarity with each other their supporters and their families.”
Multiple people and businesses in town spoke out in favor of the march. There were no speakers against.
“One of the questions that frequently comes up is why do we have to keep raising these issues?” James Koschoreck, a Texas State Professor who said he as written extensively on the LBGTQ community, said. “Haven’t we made sufficient advances in our society so it is no longer necessary? Why do we have to be so in your face about the things we feel so strongly in? I think the pride parade is not in your face about anything. It’s not about protest. It is not about anger. It is not about over throwing society. It’s about providing and opportunity for a group of marginalized folks to feel good about themselves to be in the company of others who support them for who they are. It’s about creating a space for another’s to witness the joy and pride the LGBTQ people feel when they are surrounded by love and support. It’s about seeing how Wimberley offers the space to say we appreciate all of our community members in the fullness of their diversity.“
Council members Rebecca Minnick, Christine Byrne and Bo Bowman spoke positively about the parade also saying that there had been a strong show of support from community members for the parade. Wimberley Mayor Susan Jaggers encouraged tolerances from all of Wimberley’s citizens.
“I know this can be a controversial type parade, far different from a Fourth of July parade,” Jaggers said. “Wimberley has quite a few citizens that are old school and they have some very core religious beliefs and a parade as such might put them outside their comfort zone. However, a parade is a celebration of life, not just ordinary life but a life with love and tolerance especially for tolerance when you don’t agree with someone else’s view. I would like Wimberley and the citizens, when this parade evolves, to take the opportunity to take the high road and display some respect for another person’s choices. It would be a disservice if we had an opposition during this parade. I would like to encourage that if you don’t agree with it, stay home. Otherwise come down and support these folks…. I would ask those that sign up and whoever is going to be in charge of the parade to keep it a PG-13 type parade and very respectful and showing that these are people that love and feel and have true core values of their own.”
The march will be held at 7 p.m. on September 21st. Martin said the group is planning to been “foot traffic only with the odd golf cart of bicycle. There will be no floats or cars.”
“They worked within TXDOT regulations and with the constables so we won’t be needing to shut down any roads,” City Administrator Shawn Cox said. “They are not requesting any participation from the city at this time, so this was just an opportunity for them to make the city council and the city aware of it.”
The route will of the march will start near Brookshire Brothers, go around the Wimberley Square and finish at the public parking lot on Oak Drive.
“This provides an additional opportunity for Wimberley to play to its strength,” Martin said. “We, of course, show that in various events throughout the year and this will be one additional opportunity to show Wimberley Strong and add Wimberley United and Wimberley Proud to that list.”