When police raided the Stonewall Inn in 1969, a gay club in New York City, protests and clashes with the police went on for days and served as a catalyst for the gay rights movement.
Today, pride celebrations take place around the world to honor the uprising more than 50 years ago.
Joe Urankar, a member of Park City's LGBTQ+ task force, says although progress on gay rights is being made, there’s still a way to go, especially right here in Utah.
“Without having those spaces where we can live authentically, the protest became a way to be ourselves in public, to be able to go out and hold hands to be able to go out and be with our loved ones and not be concerned,” Urankar explained. “So really, pride is both; a form of activism - a form of coming together. But it's also a place for us to be ourselves in a world where we can like, for example, most people don't know, in Utah, if you're LGBTQ, you can still be legally kicked out of a restaurant just for holding your partner's hand.”
The local task force was formed in 2020 in response to a low score on the municipal equality index report.
Another task force member, Virginia Solomon, says they have been meeting with the local rotary groups and the Gay Straight Alliance at Park City High School. They invite anyone who is interested to be a part of their taskforce by sending an email to LGBTQIA_@parkcity.org.
“We want the task force to be as diverse as possible. We want as many different kinds of voices as we can. We recently have instituted a paid participation initiative to increase the diversity of who was involved, we know that volunteering can be a privilege. And so, for folks who need the compensation for childcare for time off work to be involved in task force meetings and decisions, we do have some paid participation funds available for that.”
On Wednesday, Pride – or rainbow flags which reflect the diversity of the LGBTQ community – will be raised on five Park City flagpoles and on the Main St. light poles. The Main Street trolley will be wrapped with Pride colors and Urankar says they’re seeking city approval to paint a Pride flag on the former Maverick building on Bonanza Drive.
“Trying to create some visibility, since the LGBTQ people are inherently invisible, and you can't look at each other and see if you know if you're gay or know if you're bisexual. So, it's a way to just let everyone know that we're here and create some pride.”
On June 18 at Park City Library between 11 am and 2 pm, members of the task force will meet with community members one-on-one to share their stories. It’s called the Living Library.
“And you can check us out like books. The idea is that there's no subject that's off limits. This is a safe space, to ask hard questions to try to understand us and our experiences and really just create different kinds of connections that you wouldn't otherwise be able to have. You know, maybe you're a parent with a child who is struggling to accept themselves or to fit in in some way. Maybe you are an adult who's coming out later in life. Or maybe you're someone who just doesn't understand it, any of it. You know, the terms the acronym, it's huge, you know, and it's sometimes complicated. So, just want to destigmatize and break down the barrier.”
A picnic will be held June 25 at the Library field with live music, food trucks, and a gender-affirming clothing exchange. A donation bin will be set up in room 101 of the library starting June 18th.
The task force backed off its request to light up the McPolin Barn on S.R. 224, saying they want to have a broader community conversation about inclusion and visibility first.
