NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Nashville's LGBTQ+ community is celebrating Pride Month with numerous events throughout June, culminating in the Nashville Pride Festival at Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park.
The festivities have already begun with a kickoff pool party, marking the start of a month filled with diverse celebrations across Music City.
"Nashville Pride is hosting a variety of events throughout the month, but so are our community partners. Our community partners are hosting a ton of different events. There's going to be something out there for everybody. I'm just really hopeful that folks in Middle Tennessee can feel seen, can feel heard and celebrated," said Brady Ruffin, Nashville Pride Board of Directors member.
Ruffin emphasized the importance of Pride Month during challenging times for the LGBTQ+ community.
"We are living in a time when, sadly, LGBT rights and visibility are under threat. From book bans to anti-drag laws to attacks on our trans youth, it's definitely a really important time. But while a lot of people may be stepping back in terms of their support, or their visibility in terms of supporting Pride in general, our community is really stepping forward," said Ruffin.
The signature Pride parade along Broadway remains one of the most anticipated events of the month.
"I mean, we're music city and I get chills every time I talk about it... our parade runs down 8th and Broadway, and right when you go over the hill close to Bridgestone arena, when you sort of look down, you see that wave of rainbow down Broadway," said Ruffin.
Beyond the main festival, Nashville Pride is offering a diverse range of events, including a Pride Deadlift Party at Music City Muscle Gym on Saturday, June 7, from 9 am to 1 pm. Now in its third year, this event brings together fitness and queer communities to raise funds for local LGBTQ+ organizations.
On Friday, June 13, from 7 pm to 9 pm, members of the Nashville Pride Board will participate in drag performances at Play Dance Bar to raise money for Nashville Pride programming and community outreach efforts.
Play Dance Bar will also host the Nashville Pride Pageant on Sunday, June 15, from 7 pm to 10 pm, featuring an ancient Egypt theme where contestants will channel pharaohs, queens, and gods in their performances.
Nashville Pride's Spirituality Night will be held on Wednesday, June 1,8 from 6:30 pm to 8 pm at Wightman Chapel at Scarritt Bennett Center for a night of reflection and community connection.
"I hope everyone has fun. I think that this year's been difficult for a multitude of reasons specifically for the queer community and I just want people to have a space to celebrate and a multitude of options for spaces to celebrate," said Ruffin.
For the first time, Pride Fest will feature a Friday night concert on June 27, showcasing Grammy award-winning artists including Kim Petras and Estelle.
The Pride parade on Saturday, June 28, along Broadway will kick off the weekend festival, which continues through Sunday with additional events and performances at Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park.
Want to share details on additional Pride events or share your Pride story? Email Eric.Pointer@NewsChannel5.com.
This story was reported by Eric Pointer and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Eric Pointer and our editorial team verify all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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