By VERNON ROBISON
The Progress
The second annual Mesquite Pride Month celebration is planned for this weekend. Local LGBTQ support organization Love, Family has a lineup of events planned that will appeal to all community members both young, old and everything in between.
On Saturday, June 25, the group is sponsoring an all-community family night/pool party at the Mesquite Rec Center outdoor pool located at 100 W. Old Mill Rd. The event will be held from 6:30 to 9:30 pm. It is a free party and all of the community is invited.
In addition to swimming, there will be food and drinks provided as well as games and prizes. There will also be information booths where representatives of various local and regional organizations will have information about resources and support available for families in the community.
“Last year’s pool party was our very first community event that we organized,” said Love, Family board member Dana Long. “Just like this year, it was organized as a family event for the whole community. And it was a huge success. We had a great turnout.”
In addition to the pool party, other events are being planned this weekend to celebrate Pride Month. These will be geared more towards adults, Long said. Even so, all local residents ages 21 and above are welcome to join in these festivities.
As part of this Pride Month celebration, the group is holding a Bar Crawl on Friday, June 24. The fun will start at 4:30 pm at Wedgie’s Sports Bar at 796 W. Pioneer Blvd. Then throughout the evening, the party will move from one local bar to another with good times all along the way. The party will visit five different bars in total and end with a Drag Show at Envy nightclub and lounge.
“We want to keep everyone safe so we have arranged transportation for everyone from one bar to another,” said Long. “Then at the end of the evening, we will be transporting everyone home. And we will even schedule rides for people back to their cars the following morning. No one will have any excuse to drink and drive.”
Long said that the Love, Family organization has seen an increase in community support in its first year. “We have done a lot to get better acquainted with the community and with building strong partnerships in town,” Long said.
At a Mesquite City Council meeting on Tuesday, June 14, Mayor Al Litman presented Long with an official proclamation recognizing the month of June as Mesquite Pride Month. Long said that this was a high point for the Love, Family organization.
“I think that was our biggest local accomplishment thus far,” Long said. “Having that realm of support at the city level sends a huge message out to the community.”
Long said that for the organization’s second year, the goal is to better educate the community about LGBT issues and doing more community outreach providing resources to families.
“We are specifically devoted to working with at-risk youth to provide education and support to them and their families,” Long said.
Love, Family will be closing out the Pride Month activities with a flagraising ceremony to be held on Tuesday, June 28 at 5 pm at Mad Mike’s Bar and Grill at 551 W. Mesquite Blvd.
“We are donating a permanent flagpole to Mad Mike’s,” Long said. “That night we will raise a rainbow flag for Pride Month and give a big cheer.”
All of the community is invited to the ceremony.
