Moab Pride has been around since 2011, with events and marches taking on many iterations over the years. This week, two signature events are back, and organizers hope to bring together community members for a weekend of connection, celebration, and fun.
The weekend will begin with the Moab Pride Visibility March on Saturday, September 21, followed by a drag show at Proper Brewery the following night.
Attendees for the March are encouraged to bring signs and noisemakers and meet at Center Street Ballpark at 12:30 p.m. for the 1:00 march. The route will head around the ballfields and onto 400 East, ending back at the start point.
The event is open to anyone who identifies as part of the LGBTQ community, as well as their loved ones and community allies, whether they want to march or support as spectators.
Joe Brehm has been involved in Moab Pride for five years, helping with permitting logistics for events.
“The Visibility March is the core of [Pride],” Brehm said. “It’s the reminder to the world that we’re here, we’re queer, we’re your neighbors, we’re your friends, we’re your family.”
The “Summer’s a Drag” show the following night is all ages, and attendees can expect original performances, trivia, and prizes.
“The goal for this year was helping to get a little bit different perspective of drag,” Ricky Begaye, one of the event organizers, said. “For me as a Diné person, there’s a bit of a different view [of drag], as it’s more traditional – safer, I guess – for a man to be dressed as a woman. In indigenous cultures, they call it two-spirit people.”
Emphasizing intersectionality is key to the organizers as they look to provide inclusive spaces for all the different cultures around Moab.
“We wanted to capture the culture of Moab. We have a diverse group of individuals from many different cultures and with different points of view. I want to invite them out to share and teach us,” Begaye said. “I see drag as a community for people to connect.”
The drag show will be held at Proper Brewing at 6 p.m. on Sunday, September 22, showcasing local performers, many of whom are doing drag for the first time. There was a call for performers in late August, and the event will be hosted by Begaye.
“Come ready to support and get excited to watch people as they figure out their drag persona. People interpret drag in different ways, so there’s going to be a wide variety of that,” event organizer M.A. Russell said.
For Russell, who has lived in Moab for eight years and been involved in organizing Moab Pride since 2017, this weekend is a great chance to celebrate Moab’s queer community.
“Part of the reason why I’ve been a part of Moab Pride for almost the whole time that I’ve lived here is because, to me, it’s so amazing and special,” they say. “This small rural town in southeastern Utah has a queer community that’s thriving. It’s one of the most supportive places I’ve lived in for queer people.”
As an organization, Moab Pride has changed its focus over the years from one big annual festival to more spread-out, smaller events throughout the year.
“We’ve shifted our focus and our priorities to being more about building queer community,” Russell said. “We really, within that, want that to be intersectional.”
Moab Pride has hosted queer climbing nights at Climb Moab Gym, open mic nights at Adobe Gardens, Craft Nights at the MARC, and skate nights at Sun Court. These events, and more, will continue year-round. Those interested in keeping up with the latest events can follow @moab.pride on Instagram.
Russell encourages anyone interested in getting involved with planning or hosting events, or volunteering at this weekend’s festivities, to reach out to moabpridefest@gmail.com.
