Every year when August comes around there is a sense of excitement around BZ FurFur Headquarters. It isn’t because the kids are going back to school or because the America’s Got Talent live shows are coming up. It’s because August in Charlotte means Charlotte Pride.
For the uninitiated, Pride is an annual celebration of diversity and inclusion. It started back in the 70s as a way for gay men and women to express themselves and has grown to include anyone who identifies as LGBTQ, people of color, and allies. If you support equal rights, even if you are not one of the aforementioned LGBTQ or POC, you can still be an ally and participate in these spectacular events.
Pride parades and festivals take place in cities all across the country and around the world. When I lived in NY attending Pride was an event. There was so much excitement and energy from the performers, the crowd, and the passersby. Now that I am a transplant to Charlotte I have grown to embrace the community here by setting up a booth every year along with our friends Jessica and Drew of Crowley’s Crafty Creations. We’ll be prominently displaying some of our collaborative work that combines their super cool fractals with my etchings and painting. We are hoping that the folks attending Pride will be as excited about our work as we are.
If you are going to be in Charlotte this weekend, Aug 17-18, and you want to be a part of the festivities come by Tryon Street in Uptown. We’ll be between W 3 and W 4th Street. Come check us out, and enjoy the music, the activities, the drag shows, the parade, and all the stuff that makes Pride so wonderful. Happy Pride and, as always, stay unique.
