On Saturday, June 24, Bethel teens, the women’s shelter, and the library collaborated to host Bethel Pride Fest. It’s the fourth celebration the city has organized for LGBTQ Pride Month.
“It was a positive mood,” said Zoe Schultz, coordinator of the Teens Acting Against Violence (TAAV) program at the Tundra Women's Coalition, which organized the event.
“Everyone was happy to be there, playing music, people were talking and mingling. And then everyone had a good time at the barbecue with hot dogs, chips, whatnot. A lot of people were into the outdoor games. So overall, it was a pretty fun day just to celebrate,” said Schultz.
The festival started with a talk from the youth group that spearheaded the event, and from the library about their LGBTQ book collection. Then they walked in a horseshoe loop before arriving at the Bethel Lion’s Club for games and celebration.
“And then we had kites and bubbles. And then we also had cornhole. We had a couple of games. So people were really into cornhole and a ladder game, and just flying the kites too," Schultz said.
The event was run in large part by a group of teens that are part of a youth group for domestic violence prevention run through the women’s shelter. TAAV is a group for anyone from seventh through 12th grade interested in exploring healthy relationships, mental health, effective communication, and how to set boundaries.
“It's also helping them build other skills, such as self esteem and confidence,” Schultz said. “It's all, like, emotional social skills. They're really learning there.”
The teens were in charge of planning the event step by step. Schultz saw empowerment in that.
“I think it's amazing that the first Pride event was created by the youth in Bethel, Alaska. I think that speaks on them wanting to have a voice and really making things happen in such a location with limited resources or whatnot,” said Schultz.
Communities began celebrating Pride Fests in 1988, commemorating a gay rights uprising that took place in New York in 1970. Bethel began in 2019.
“I think cities progress faster,” Schultz said. “And then, like, with Bethel being such a remote location, it's moving that direction.”
By all accounts, the celebration was a success. Schultz said that a next step might be starting a gay-straight alliance club at BRHS.
