Despite Denton Mayor Gerard Hudspeth's declining to officially acknowledge Pride in the city, local organization PRIDENTON continues to provide meaningful, affirmative events throughout the month.
The first Saturday of the month featured two opportunities for a more relaxed Pride celebration. That morning, Pride Path began at 8 a.m. with boxes of chalk, bags of snacks and bottles of bug spray scattered up and down the sidewalk on the south side of the old Denton County Courthouse.
Attendee Kel Golden was excited to bring her family to the kid-friendly event.
“It’s good to see our neighbors,” she said.
Local band Fishboy provided mellow tunes as youth and adults brightened the concrete sidewalk squares with uplifting sayings such as “Y’all means all!” Many artists also chose to feature Pride flags and rainbows in their drawings.
“Seeing all the families and having my family here for the first time... my heart is overwhelmed,” said Monica Fraga.
That evening, nearly 250 guests, some of whom were also at Pride Path, made their way to the Denton Civic Center Pool to enjoy a community pool party. As pop songs bubbled through the air, swimmers enjoyed the waterslide, batted beach balls to one another and waited in line for temporary airbrushed tattoos.
PRIDENTON board member James Jackson, who was behind the sound decks as “DJ Bucky,” said seeing queer and trans people swimming and experiencing joy made him emotional. In a state where lawmakers spent a significant portion of the most recent legislative session debating bills centered around the LGBTQ+ community, acts as simple as being out and proud at a pool have become acts of resilience.
In addition to previously established favorites, PRIDENTON added new events to the month this year, speaking to a greater level of collaboration with local businesses.
Stoke, a queer-owned co-working space, hosted a Co-Working Day where attendees could bring crafts, projects or job-related tasks and work on them in a shared environment. Participants also enjoyed coffee and beverages provided by Triptych, a local lesbian-owned coffee pop-up. PRIDENTON board member Kamyon Conner said building on the organization's mission gives them hope for future Pride celebrations.
“[PRIDENTON] is building spaces where the queer community can work, share ideas and connect in real time," they said. "We hope to do this again next year.”
PRIDENTON’S Night OUT has been one of the month's biggest events, with more than 80 local businesses and hundreds of people in attendance. The gathering has replaced a more conventional Pride parade in Denton by featuring a vendor market at the Denton Civic Center and a map of participating businesses on the nearby downtown Denton square.
The evening still has the celebratory atmosphere of a parade, though. Vendors are encouraged to decorate their booths so Pride-goers can vote on their favorites for awards such as “People’s Choice” and “Most Creative.” Brick and mortar businesses on the square also participate by applying to be a storefront “float.” This year’s storefront winner was independent bookstore Patchouli Joe’s for its rainbow of books arching over the front door.
Celeste Vega, owner of coffee pop-up Celestial Café, was doubly glad to be a part of this year’s Night OUT. They stated that the night’s positive energy and acceptance were important, “especially right now,” referring to not only the struggles of being LGBTQ+ in Texas but also the increase in ICE protests around the country. Their booth decorations featured Pride colors alongside a Mexican flag.
“You can’t just let them win,” Vega said. “You have to be resilient. You have to get back up.”
Janette Orona, founder of Azul Therapies, included free Pride cookies, Polaroid photos and information about mental health resources at her booth.
“I look forward to this day every single year,” she said.
Orona believes that events such as Night OUT are critical for queer Texans’ mental health.
“Above everything, lean into your community,” she advised.
The celebrations in Little D aren't limited to parties and parades. On June 24, Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studio hosted an open mic in collaboration with the local artist collective Spiderweb Salon. For some LGBTQ+ residents in Denton, Rubber Gloves has become a safe haven for finding community in light of the anti-LGBTQ+ legislation coming out of the Texas Capitol.
And as another Pride Month nears its conclusion, there's still fun to be had.
PRIDENTON is closing June out with a dance party starting at 7 p.m. tonight, June 28, at Rubber Gloves. The event features sounds from DJ Ursa Minor as well as live music and go-go dancers. You can find full details here.
