Julie Bailey-Steeno has lived in Gainesville, FL for the past three years and feels like there are no LGBTQ community celebrations for older people who are not part of the UF community.
“70% of Gainesville is college students or faculty, and if you’re not part of UF, you’re just sort of disconnected,” Bailey-Steeno said. “You know how you do the Nextdoor app? There’s people posting saying ‘I live here, I’ve been here two years, I’m LGBTQ, I’d like to connect with people, older people.’ People in my age group want to find a sense of community and it’s hard to break into if you’re not a student going to clubs.”
Well, don’t worry Julie, because there’s a Pride Prom for All at Bo Diddley Plaza on Saturday, June 26 from 7pm-10pm!
Join PCCNCF & TranQuility for a free, family-friendly prom for all ages! There will be food trucks, LGBTQIA+ organizations tabling, pride merch, vendors, dancing, live performers, and prize contests: Best Dressed, Best Dancing, Prom King, Queen & Supreme (non-binary royalty).
This event is outdoors, and there will be designated areas for people who need to social distance.
For more info contact: alachuatranquility@gmail.com
If you want to pre-game the Pride Prom, there is a noon Pride Picnic that same Saturday at Westside Park with the Pride Student Union and members of NLGJA (National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association) for a picnic in the park before Pride Prom! Pack your own picnic basket!
After you’ve recovered from Pride Prom For All, head over to Pride Painting on Tuesday, June 29 from 7pm-10pm at 17 W University Ave.
From their website: Our most colorful event thus far! We celebrate lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, non-binary and queer social and self acceptance, achievements, legal rights, and pride. Come make a pop art painting and take pride in your work!
Spark Art and Mai Kai supply all the materials and tools needed to create your own painting you can take home. To join all you have to do is get a drink, and donate on the night of the event. Also be ready to get messy!
When you donate you are keeping the events going! Your donations go towards brushes, canvases, and materials needed to create your badass works. (HUGE thank you to everyone who has already given!)
But before you do all that, see what the stars have in store for you! On Thursday June 24 from 7pm-8pm, join Astrology and the LGBTQIA+ Community by Pride Community Center of North Central Florida and StarSound Astrology for an online workshop. Tickets are $10 on eventbrite.
How can we keep the magic of Pride moving forward? Astrology can show us the way.
After a year and a half of pandemic, we’ve never been happier to reunite for Pride Month.
But after all the events and celebrations, how do we keep the magic going? Look to the stars!
Irlianna Samsara of StarSound Astrology will share with us the cosmic ‘weather report’ of 2021 and how we can use it to empower ourselves and our communities.
Irlianna will share power dates of opportunity, how to maximize these, plus a special fun affirmation she created to empower everyone in the community.
There will be a drawing at the end for a free astrology session. A portion of the proceeds will be going to the Pride Community Center of North Central Florida. No knowledge of astrology required. Everything in plain English. We look forward to seeing you!
Follow Gainesville’s Pride Community Center on Instagram for updates on events as they unfold.