It’s the first Pride month of President Donald Trump’s second term, and as the president has moved to roll back LGBTQ+ protections, members of the LGBTQ+ community are trying to navigate how to simultaneously celebrate Pride and address Trump’s policies.
“There are so many ways to celebrate Pride, and it doesn’t just have to be going to the big Pride festival. Sometimes it’s just watching a queer movie, picking up a book from the library, [or] just doing your own research,” said Sammy Bignault, president of the Queer Student Association.
The atmosphere this Pride Month is different with the new presidential administration. Trump has signed several anti-LGBTQ+ executive orders since taking office, including ones to end diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in federal agencies and ban transgender women from participating in women’s sports. Bignault said it’s important to remember that queer people have gotten through hard times before.
“We’re back in a Trump administration, but we have also been in many conservative, fascist, oppressive regimes, and that has not ever stopped Pride,” Bignault said. “Pride is a place of resistance, but also joy.”
Speaking out against the Trump administration is a great way for people to be allies this Pride month, argued Lucy Grams, president of Planned Parenthood Generation Action and rising senior majoring in political science.
“Pride will always be political,” said Grams. “Pride is a protest. So continue protesting injustices.”
On Trump’s first day in office, he signed Executive Order 14168, which declared that “‘Sex’ shall refer to an individual’s immutable biological classification as either male or female.” He has also since signed EO 14187, directing federal departments and agencies to not give research or education grants to medical institutions that provide gender-affirming care for youth. Caddell shared the feeling that this is a difficult Pride, particularly for transgender people.
“It can definitely be more scary [to celebrate Pride] when protections are removed for transgender people and for queer students,” Caddell said.
In the face of the Trump administration’s policies targeting LGBTQ+ people, Alabamians will nevertheless celebrate Pride with a host of events.
Central Alabama Pride will host the 47th Annual Pridefest on Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. at Linn Park in Birmingham. Drag queens India Ferrah, DeJa Skye, and Darienne Lake from RuPaul’s Drag Race will be performing at the festival. Central Alabama Pride is also hosting a Pride brunch on Saturday at 11 a.m. at Boutwell Auditorium followed later in the day by a Pride Parade at 8 p.m. along 7th Avenue South.
On Wednesday, June 25, at 6:30 p.m, Super Skate in Tuscaloosa will host Pride Skate, offering the first fifty people free admission. The event is sponsored by Druid City Pride and Druid City Derby. Druid City Pride will hold its pride festival in the fall at Government Plaza, which will be on Sept. 28.
“I would definitely recommend Pride Skate. I feel like it’s a very chill, laid back thing. It happens at Super Skate each year,” said Sarah Beth Caddell, treasurer of QSA.
“Do not just exclusively support celebrity [drag] queens,” Bignault said. “Go to your local places and also support drag kings [and] MX drag creators.”
Icon Tuscaloosa hosts drag shows at 11 p.m. every Friday and Saturday. The show on Saturday, June 21, will benefit Druid City Pride.
While June is Pride month, there are ways to get involved in queer spaces year round, be it through QSA or other groups.
“I think Pride is a really good gateway entry point of being like, ‘oh my gosh, there’s a lot more people that are welcoming and accepting and queer,’” Bignault said.
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