LGBT Pride Celebrates Five Years of Growth in Mankato

By Andy Birkey
Thursday, September 06, 2007 at 7:00 pm

The past several years have seen LGBT Pride events expand beyond the urban core of Minneapolis-St. Paul. Like pride events in the Twin Cities, Duluth-Superior and Pine City this summer, Mankato will host a series of events this weekend to celebrate community and create awareness of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender issues.

Pride in Mankato is known as South Central Minnesota Pride. It dates to 2002, when a small group of volunteers organized an event to bring visibility to Mankato’s LGBT community. The event, which drew about 100 people the first year, continues into its fifth year. Attendance is expected to be more than 1,000 people, and event organizers say they have received nothing but support from Mankato area residents.

“We have had a great reaction from the community and we have never had even one protester at our events,” said Jessica Flatequal, co-chairwoman of this year’s South Central Minnesota Pride. The Mankato City Council issues a proclamation for the events each year, and council members and the mayor often attend festivities, she said.

This weekend will feature a Friday reception at Pub 500, a parade and festival with live entertainment and beer garden. Events will culminate Saturday night with a dance party at the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Morson-Ario.

While the event is about celebrating the accomplishments of the LGBT community in the area, it is also about helping those who feel isolated, Flatequal said. “Coming out is never easy, and we hope that the LGBT people who live and work in south-central Minnesota, who at this moment feel totally isolated and alone, realize that we understand and care about them — that they recognize they are NOT alone,” she said. “We also hope that through our mere existence and our hyper-visibility … we open people’s eyes about the joy, courage, pride, and contributions of our amazing and diverse LGBT community.”

Still, Flatequal says, the event is also about having a good time. “We hope that we have given the LGBT and allied community a chance to be visible and proud in a safe and fun environment.”