Zion National parks First Pride was exactly what the organizers intended: a vibrant celebration of queer life against the tranquil backdrop of southern Utah’s red and green canyons and a powerful act of resistance.
The event was hosted on June 15 by the Gays of National Parks, an organization that recognizes and protects the relationship between LGBTQ+ people and various parks. The celebration included performances and a parade in which participants volunteered to clean up the park.
While traversing nature hasn’t always been the safest activity for visibly queer people, these national parks continue to provide them with spaces to come together and meet “Find solace and inspiration in these sheltered lands,‘ as a representative put it in a press release about the event. And as our country continues to seek policing of queer bodies, the safety of public spaces is critical to all.
Organizations that took part in the celebrations of the event included The Southern Utah Drag Stars, a drag performer collective that currently consists of a group of drag performers litigation against St. George City, Utah.
In an effort to eradicate this cherished form of queer expression, the city reportedly denied the organization permission for a family-friendly drag show it wanted to host at a local park, on the grounds that the drag stars opposed an obscure, rare enforced regulation. However, the American Civil Rights Union (ACLU) stepped in to help file a discrimination lawsuit against the city of St. George.
Zion National Park’s Pride celebrations prove the show must go on, especially when that show is making fanatics uncomfortable. A post about the joyous celebration on the park’s official Instagram account sparked numerous homophobic comments — and some amazing ones. “I’m so glad that all the fanatics are saying they won’t go to Zion anymore! It will be so nice not having to share trails with his hateful self and leaving the junk lying around everywhere. Good job NPS on finding creative ways to solve the overcrowding problem! Happy Pride!’ posted a user with handle @mjmeszaros.
Community groups in attendance included Encircle House, Pride of Southern Utah, Equality Utah, Grand Canyon, Grand Canyon Parashant, Zion, Pipe Spring National Monument, and Black Lives Matter, among others.
“LGBTQ spaces have been declining over the past 10 years, which has resulted in the loneliness epidemic being doubly prevalent in the LGBTQ community,” said Dr. Hitesh Tolani, professor, organizer and founder of the Gays of National Parks. “Because spending time in nature is known to help fight loneliness, public spaces like national parks are underutilized resources to combat the loneliness epidemic.”
