06-06-2025
Pride Month event organizers see increased engagement amidst anti-LGBTQ+ activity
Organizers are preparing to celebrate Pride Month in Des Moines through Capital City Pride's Pridefest. (Photo by Tom Foley/Iowa Capital Dispatch)
Pride Month event organizers in Iowa are seeing an increase in participation amidst national and state activity targeting the queer community.
'People in the community that are passionate about diversity, equity and inclusion and are passionate about the LGBTQ+ community are showing up because they know this is an important time,' said Wes Mullins, executive director of Capital City Pride.
Every June, celebrations of Pride Month focus on self-affirmation, dignity, equality, increased visibility and connections within Iowa's LGBTQ+ community, and Capital City Pride's Pridefest is the largest LGBTQ+ annual gathering in Iowa. The focus is on the so-called 'Five Pillars of Pride,' which are education, family, health and wellness, community and celebration.
Each year, Pridefest hosts the Pride Stride 5k — an event that in previous years never had more than 500 participants. This year, there are more than 750. Additionally, all of the available vendor spaces at Pridefest have been booked for the first time in the event's history.
'One of the hardest things in the LGBTQ+ community is combatting a sense of isolation and loneliness,' Mullins said. 'With the political attacks on the LGBTQ+ community that have been happening, it's even more important to make sure people are able to connect.'
Earlier this year, Iowa became the first state to remove civil rights protections from a protected class by removing 'gender identity' as a protected characteristic under the Iowa Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination in employment, housing, education, credit and public accommodations. After the law goes into effect on July 1, transgender Iowans will no longer have those protections under the state's Civil Rights Act.
Mullins calls the revisions to the Iowa Civil Rights Act an 'embarrassment.' PHC Iowa, a healthcare provider, has already closed all gender-affirming care clinics to avoid losing federal funding. A 2024 study found that state-level, anti-transgender laws can cause up to a 72% increase in suicide attempts among transgender and non-binary youth.
'I think people have whiplash in Iowa City, seeing the things happening at the state or federal level and they say, 'that's not my community, that's not what's happening here,' but the reality is that is happening to a lot of other folks,' said Andy Owens, executive director of Iowa City Pride.
House File 856, a bill signed into Iowa law on May 27, prohibits public entities from engaging in certain activities relating to diversity, equity, and inclusion. The new law also prohibits any state organization from attempting to promote a policy or activity that references unconscious or implicit bias, cultural appropriation, transgender ideology, group marginalization, anti-racism and many other related concepts.
Owens says the dismantling of diversity, equity and inclusion on a state and federal level has had an impact on many young people in need of support. 'When offices that are dedicated to support and advocacy disappear, then resources become more scarce,' he said. 'That hurts.'
Another bill, House File 51, targeted drag shows, defined as shows in which a performer 'exhibits a gender identity that is different than the performer's gender assigned at birth.' Initially, the bill provided that anyone who brought a minor to one of the performances could be charged with a felony punishable by up to five years in prison. The bill was later revised to include an 'obscene performance' definition and to make it a misdemeanor offense to take a minor aged 13 or younger to one of the performances.
Owens says in its original form the bill was 'not an easy pill to swallow' and sparked fears that the organization would not be allowed to have outdoor drag performers during the festival. However, due to revisions in the bill's final language, Iowa City Pride will proceed as planned.
Iowa City Pride is one of the oldest Pride organizations in the country, founded just a year after the Stonewall riots in 1969. Owens said this is a 'challenging' time for Iowans on the LGBTQ+ spectrum, especially trans individuals. However, he added, these times also provide 'an opportunity for us to recalibrate' and maximize support. He said Pride organizations are 'working even harder' to stage more events, support the community and work with other Pride organizations and advocacy groups throughout the state.
Mullins said Capital City Pride has also tried to partner with other organizations, such as lobbyists and legislative organizations — at least to the extent they can, given CCP's status as a non-profit organization. As part of its work, CCP is connecting isolated individuals to mental health services and community organizations 'in the midst of these attacks.'
Owens said he feels anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment and protest have been 'drowned out by the voices of people who are supportive.' He says this year's Pride festival is 'shaping up to be the biggest one' Iowa City has ever had. Additionally, ICP has started an unofficial partnership with Coralville to expand their Pride organization and expand their community's work beyond Iowa City.
When asked how the community can support their work, both Mullins and Owens said the same thing: show up and donate. As nonprofit organizations, much of CCP's and ICP's revenue consists of donations — but both organizations stress the importance of being present for Pride events. Mullins also suggests that people check in on friends and family who are members of the community to ensure everyone feels connected.
The Capital City Pridefest has events all month. The festival this weekend provides a family and youth zone for children, a teen zone, a pet pageant for 'four-legged friends,' and a 'Pride Ride' bike ride for members of the Iowa cycling community.
The Iowa City Pride festival will take place on June 21 from noon to 10 p.m.
