Inclusivity at Its Core: What’s in Store for SLC Pride

Roberto Lopez vividly recalls his initial encounter with SLC Pride. Despite concerns about his undocumented status, a few of the organization’s members told him that they accepted anyone and would find a place for him. Their warm welcome affirmed his passion for community building and set the tone for Lopez’s soon-to-be role as the organization’s Development Director.

SLC Pride was born from the desire to highlight a sense of family within the Salt Lake community; to emulate “a sense of unity that we found within each other,” Lopez says. From its humble beginnings with just a handful of members, SLC Pride has quickly catalyzed into a robust team of 38 representatives, united by a shared vision of inclusivity and support for all. Their goal is to create a space where everyone, regardless of identity, feels represented and valued. This mission will be made experiential in their first Pride event, happening June 27–30 at The Gateway, built for and by the local community. “There was this gap that needed to be filled in terms of local Pride celebrations that this organization is aiming to fill,” Lopez explains.

“People can go to this festival and meet people from their community and kind of build the gap that they’ve been missing all along.”

Accessibility and inclusivity are at the forefront of this new festival. Everyone under the age of 18 will get in for free, as part of the organization’s financial transparency and accessibility goal. “At such a vulnerable age, it is paramount for [kids] to be able to exist within an affirming space that keeps them safe with their people,” Lopez says. For neurodivergent folks, there will be a “chill-out” space away from the concert stages, as well as a silent disco for those who want to engage with the music in a controllable, scaled way. For those with disabilities and/or wheelchairs, paths will be clear and accessible. “We don’t want to add more barriers—for anyone,” Lopez says. In their pursuit of sustainability, SLC Pride is partnering with local universities to minimize their environmental footprint, emphasizing the importance of responsible stewardship for future generations.

Unlike many Pride events reliant on corporate sponsorship, SLC Pride remains steadfast in its dedication to putting the community first. While corporate funding is often necessary, the “community can kind of get blurred out, or put on the back burner,” says Lopez. By allowing multicultural vendors to show up without the financial barrier of a booth fee, “the vendors have the autonomy to provide and cater to their community with whatever they would like to showcase,” Lopez says. One such community collaborator who will be tabling during the event is the Nuanua Collective, dedicated to amplifying the voices of LGBTQ+ Pacific Islanders by exploring the intersection of queer and ethnic identities.

At the heart of SLC Pride is queer liberation—most of which has been fought for by the generations that came before us. Queer elders from Seniors Out And Proud Of Utah will be there to support queer youths. Elders can exemplify that although their “outness” has been a battle won, “these kids can be shown that it’s going to be okay,” Lopez says. This kind of intergenerational support offers a sense of validation and familial belonging potentially not seen in some of the young attendees’ biological families themselves.

“At such a vulnerable age, it is paramount for [kids] to be able to exist within an affirming space that keeps them safe with their people.”

95% of the local musical lineup for the weekend’s celebrations is trans or nonbinary. Artists are coming from St. George, Logan and more and will showcase a variety of musical genres: country, hard rock, hyperpop and beyond. There will also be an education initiative to support educators in this political climate. The Human Rights Campaign and the ACLU of Utah will be tabling and the latter will be providing information on how to get engaged in community politics so that attendees can have an impact on the communities they care for. Behind the scenes, dedicated individuals such as Liz Pitts, who sits on the Utah Chamber of Commerce, Bonnie O’Brien, Festival Director and Kate Rusk, who constructs SLC Pride’s marketing, work to make the event a reality, embodying the spirit of empowerment and collaboration.

As SLC Pride continues to evolve and expand its reach, it remains steadfast in its commitment to unity, diversity and celebration of all identities. At the center of this event is the idea that “people can go to this festival and meet people from their community and kind of build the gap that they’ve been missing all along,” Lopez says. Volunteer, donate or attend at slc-pride.com.

Read more from the LGBTQ+ Pride issue:
Mosaics: Provo’s Only Queer Bookstore
Bold & Beautiful Queens of Mayhem