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Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Final day of Des Moines' PrideFest kicks off
DES MOINES, Iowa — The final day of the PrideFest kicked off in the East Village on Sunday morning. The event is organized by Capital City Pride, a nonprofit whose mission is to bring together the LGBTQ+ community and host around 100 events and programs annually to inspire and educate. PrideFest is a three-day festival and is the nonprofit's largest event every year. It started 46 years ago when a group of people marched from the Iowa State Capitol to the Blazing Saddle in the East Village to demand rights for LGBTQ Iowans. Laurel Feakes is the Director of Public Relations for Capital City Pride. She said last year's PrideFest brought between 130,000 and 150,000 people to downtown Des Moines. The three-day event kicked off on Friday with vendors and acts performing on the Community Stage. Then on Saturday, the packed schedule featured events for families and kids, teens, pets, and more. The Main Stage also headlined acts like Ally and AJ. Sunday is the final day for the event. Early risers started their morning with yoga across the street from the Embassy Suits. PrideFest officially kicked off at 10 a.m. with a Pride Worship Service on the Main Stage. The festival's largest attraction is the Capital City Pride Parade that will start at noon on East Grand Avenue, starting at the Iowa State Capitol. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Iowa City reaffirms community support by extending Trans Day of Visibility into a week-long event
Corridor Community Action Network's Trans Day of Visibility is returning to Iowa City amid unprecedented legislation from the Iowa House by extending the celebration with five days of events. Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, on Feb. 28, signed a historic bill removing gender identity as a protected class in the Iowa Civil Rights Act. The decision ended 18 years of civil rights protections for transgender and nonbinary Iowans. Republicans have claimed that the law is necessary to support new GOP legislation, which includes a ban on transgender youth from receiving gender-affirming medical care, restricting transgender students from using school bathrooms that align with their gender identity and banning transgender women and girls from competing in female sports. The new law has provoked several protests at the Iowa State Capitol in Des Moines. More: Reynolds signs law ending trans civil rights protections; Iowa 1st state to repeal rights Mandi Remington, the founder and director of Corridor Community Action Network and a member of the Johnson County Board of Supervisors, notes that Iowa City's collaborative Trans Day of Visibility week from March 27-31 celebrates transgender individuals and also raises awareness for the challenges the community faces. 'I'm concerned for our trans community, especially youth," Remington said in an interview with the Press-Citizen. "This legislation pushes people back into the closet, making it even more important to resist… and many don't realize they know people affected by these laws. It's crucial to show them they're wrong—to highlight how many are impacted and will be by future legislation. We must hold onto our community, joy, and celebration. No matter what rights the states take, they can't take our love or who we are.' More: 'It's devastating': Transgender Iowa lawmaker vows to fight to restore lost civil rights Transgender Day of Visibility, observed on March 31, was first held in 2009 by transgender activist Rachel Crandall. The annual celebration has become an internationally recognized day of advocacy, celebration, and solidarity. Unlike Transgender Day of Remembrance in November, the spring event is focused on empowerment. Remington emphasized how important community support is in Johnson County. 'We need to do everything that we can protect our residents here in Johnson County and here in Iowa City through our own codes, ordinances, and laws since the state is not doing it anymore,' Remington said. 'City council and county supervisors need to be finding out what we can do to enforce local ordinances that protect those rights, even if they're not protected at the state level through legal means, and then community members need to be standing up and ensuring that anybody that is discriminating is not welcome in our community.' Government officials in Iowa City have voiced their support by opposing the legislation that removed gender identity as a protected class. Iowa City Mayor Bruce Teague recently traveled to Des Moines to advocate for the city and transgender rights. More: A yet-to-be-built 84-unit apartment complex in Iowa City awaits rezoning. What to know: 'At this critical moment, it is necessary for us to stand up for the values that have made our state a safe and welcoming place for people from all backgrounds – regardless of race, background, or gender identity,' Teague said in a written statement. 'This bill not only harms those who rely on gender identity protections today, but it represents a larger step towards the elimination of rights and security for all.' The North Liberty City Council declared March 30 as their Transgender Day of Visibility to "stand with transgender residents and (to stay) committed to being a welcoming community for all." More: 'Trans people are to be cherished': Iowa City native Harper Steele speaks at The Englert In 2023 and 2024, both the Iowa City Council and The Johnson County Board of Supervisors released separate proclamations recognizing the contributions of Iowa City's transgender community, expressing contempt for anti-transgender legislation across the state and nation. Iowa City's Trans Day of Visibility week will conclude with a Trans Day rally from 4-8 p.m. on Monday, March 31 at College Green Park. The event will feature several speakers as well as community banner making and a sing-along with Mary Cohen & Singing Love into Life Circle, Awful Purdies and The Quire of Eastern Iowa. More: The new $525 million University of Iowa hospital in North Liberty has an open date. When is it? Other events throughout the week include a Flashart tattoo fundraiser for Iowa Trans Mutual Fund, a community potluck, free gender-affirming haircuts, a zine and sign-making workshop, a burlesque, drag and spoken word show at Studio 13, a 'Teaching beyond fear' webinar, a book signing, musical performances, a film screening, and a 'Gaymers' gathering. Both the Iowa City Public Library and the Coralville Public Library are also blending art, activism, photos, and text through various displays to amplify trans voices in the community. Jessica Rish is an entertainment, dining and education reporter for the Iowa City Press-Citizen. She can be reached at JRish@ or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @rishjessica_ This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Why did Iowa City extend Trans Day of Visibility into a 5-day event?
