Greater Ozarks Pridefest will be held Saturday (6/18) on Park Central Square. Its purpose is to increase public awareness of the LGBT community and to celebrate diversity through visibility.
This year’s event will be held in the shadow of the mass shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida last weekend. Krista Moncado, spokesperson for the Gay and Lesbian Community Center of the Ozarks (GLO) in Springfield, said it’s important to come together as a community to mourn those lost and to start the healing process.
"Not that we will ever forget what happened but be able to start bridging those gaps and so hopefully this doesn't happen again," she said.
Greater Ozarks Pridefest will be held Saturday (6/18) from noon to 9 pm. It will include music, speakers, vendors and more, and the Equality March will start at 10:30 am. Moncado said there will be a stepped up focus on security after what happened in Orlando.
"We always have security and the Springfield Police Department at our Pridefest events. In light of the shootings we are having extra talks with law enforcement here in the area, and so we'll do whatever they suggest as far as security goes," she said.
Friday night (6/17), there will be a Candlelight Vigil to honor the victims of the mass shooting. It starts at 8 at the GLO Center.
"Coming together is important for the LGBT community to mourn those we have lost. We'll be outside the GLO Center, and that's at 518 E. Commercial St. Anyone that wants to come and remember those that we have lost and come together with the community in a peaceful way are welcome," according to Moncado.
Meanwhile, Moncado said the GLO Center has open hours each day this week from noon to 4 where people having a difficult time dealing with the tragedy can stop by and talk.
"And be in a space to be able to come together with other like-minded people, we have those open hours," she said.
The GLO Center offers weekly programming, including support groups, for the LGBT community. It provides cultural competency training for businesses and organizations. And it hosts events throughout the year, including Greater Ozarks Pridefest.
