Due to the overwhelming number of hospitalizations caused by COVID-19 and the strain that has placed on our region’s health care system, the Ozarks Pridefest committee, The GLO Center, and PFLAG Springfield have made the difficult decision to cancel Ozarks Pridefest 2021. One of the aims of Pride is to celebrate the hard fought rights and progress for the LGBTQ+ community, and to be a place for allies to show their support for those causes. In an effort to capture that spirit of celebration and support, the Ozarks Pridefest committee is launching #ShowMePride.
The committee has spent the past three months monitoring the situation and discussing potential alternatives in order to protect the health and safety of the LGBTQ+ community and our allies. Unfortunately, the committee came to the conclusion that an event would not be possible this fall. This event brings people to Springfield from the entire multi-state region, and it would be a disservice to a community that already has inequitable access to health care to hold an event that would cause increased spread of the Delta variant.
Ozarks Pridefest, The GLO Center, and PFLAG Springfield are urging the community to get vaccinated as soon as possible. Achieving higher levels of vaccination and stopping the spread of COVID-19 will allow us to come together in-person for Pridefest in 2022.
Individuals, families, businesses, organizations, and churches can show their support and love for the LGBTQ+ community on October 11th by bringing a bit of pride to their home, storefront, office, social media pages, or any other forum where you can show your pride! Participating locations are encouraged to post photos and videos online with the hashtag #ShowMePride. The hashtag can also be a place to post pictures, stories, and videos telling the community what Pride means to you, or share your coming out story in celebration of National Coming Out Day.
