3 days ago
GLAAD: Prattville Pride Fest is for everyone
Prattville Pride Fest 2025 was a smooth, meaningful and fun day on June 1.
"It was amazing!" said Caryl Lawson, vice president and co-founder of Prattville Pride. "Things behind the scenes went much more smoothly than last year and the turnout was great. We aren't sure exactly how many attended, but I'd estimate around 1,500 throughout the day."
It's an improvement. Before the past two years of Prattville Pride festivals, there was a picnic in 2023 that caught everyone's attention — including some much unwanted visitors who were determined to disrupt it.
According to Prattville Pride, the idea to host a Pride picnic in June 2023 came from Anna Evans of Wolf and Mercantile. Their small event drew in 150 welcome guests. There were some unwelcome ones also from a national hate group that tried to stop the picnic.
Hate failed in the face of love. Prattville Pride officially formed in 2024, and held its first Prattville Pride Fest that year at Cooters Pond Park in Prattville with around 2,500 guests. The efforts caught the attention of ABC's "Good Morning America," which did a large spotlight piece on Prattville Pride. During that piece, Prattville Pride leaders were presented with a special award from GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation).
More: Pride in Prattville and Montgomery: Two cities, one mission for LGBTQ+
Montgomery native Darian Aaron, GLAAD's director of local news for US South, said the award was because Prattville Pride created a safe space for LGBTQ+ Alabamians to be their authentic selves in a public place.
'Pride is very important to our community, especially in places like Prattville and Alabama as a whole,' Aaron said. 'It's an opportunity for the community to come together to celebrate each other, and to uplift each other. Spaces like that are not available to LGBTQ people across the state. There's very few places where it is available to them.'
Aaron said the courage that it took for them to create Prattville Pride in a hostile environment was worth celebrating and awarding.
'I hope that people understand that Pride is for everyone, and that LGBTQ people — LBGQT Alabamians to be more specific — are a part of every community," Aaron said. "We're in your families. We're in your churches. We're your neighbors. And there is nothing to be afraid of.'
Aaron urged people to avoid stereotypes and instead try to develop relationships with people with different experiences.
'Get to know someone who is LGBTQ, if you don't,' Aaron said. 'Learn about an experience that's different than yours. That's how we grow."
Montgomery Advertiser reporter Shannon Heupel covers things to do in the River Region. Contact him at sheupel@
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: GLAAD: Prattville Pride Fest is for everyone
