Boulder, Lafayette, Longmont celebrate Pride with Out Boulder County motorcades
Jun. 14—Editor's note: This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Alexis Etemadi's last name.
This year's Boulder County Pride celebrations brought cars covered in rainbow flags, streamers, banners, balloons and inflatable unicorns to downtown streets in Longmont, Boulder and Lafayette.
Sunday's motorcades gave the LGBTQ community and its supporters a chance to be seen and to feel support from their communities. Organized on the same day in lieu of the typical parades held during Pride month, they also were the culmination of a week of activities planned by Out Boulder County.
The nonprofit — which aims to educate, empower and support Boulder County's LGBTQ communities — first turned to motorcades last summer as a safe way to bring everyone together during a pandemic.
While last year's motorcades required air hugs and social distancing, Sunday's events were marked by extra long hugs and a party atmosphere as participants decorated, snapped photos and caught up with friends in parking lots beforehand.
This year's motorcades also featured three grand marshals: Longmont City Manager Harold Dominguez, former Boulder County Clerk Clela Rorex, and Lafayette's out representatives, Mayor Jamie Harkins and City Administrator Fritz Sprague. Local police and fire departments led off the parades and provided traffic control.
Dominguez said he wanted to highlight the city's equity work and to support his son, who came out last year.
"Everyone has a voice in our community," he said.
Mardi Moore, Out Boulder County's executive director, said adding Lafayette this year to the annual Boulder and Longmont Pride events acknowledges the city's commitment to supporting the LGBTQ community. Harkins was the city's first openly gay council member and is now its first openly gay mayor.
"Lafayette provides a clear demonstration of how to do things right," Moore said.
The motorcades, she added, let the larger community know that LGBTQ people "insist on being included in policies, laws, businesses and housing."
"We're your neighbors and your friends," she said.
Alexis Etemadi, who will be a rising senior at Dawson School, said it was important to celebrate Pride with an outdoor event after a turbulent year spent mainly inside.
"As a trans youth, I feel like it's important to say we're still here," she said as she waited to join a group of teens in Out Boulder County's youth programs taking part in the Boulder motorcade. "We're here and we're queer."
Alex Silver, a rising senior at Lafayette's Centaurus High School, added Pride events create community.
"You know you're not alone," they said. "There are other people like you."
Nicole Barajas, who joined the Longmont motorcade with her wife, Catrina Jaramillo, said she felt a little nervous about the looks she received as they drove to the Roosevelt Park starting point in their rainbow covered car. But once there, surrounded by the LGBTQ community, she immediately felt comfortable.
"It feels good to know I can be myself," she said. "Every day is Pride for us. We want to show our support for equal rights."
Another Longmont participant, Sarah Rice, said she attends every Pride event she can. Her family includes four generations of queer women, including herself and her mom.
"We are a proud family," she said. "At the end of the day, we love anything that represents love and fun and brings us together."
