Downtown Chanute saw many visitors as groups and individuals walked around, taking in booths, exhibits, and refreshments during Chanute’s first-ever Pride celebration on Saturday, June 28.
Jake Vande Linde and Thomas Gahagan are two of several individuals who organized the Follow the Rainbow Pride event.
“It’s kind of overwhelming, but in a good way,” Gahagan said.
He noted that several attendees traveled to attend, some coming from Pittsburg and other southeast Kansas cities. Others came from Kansas City, or from other states, such as Arkansas.
The men estimated that a few hundred people attended the event.
“We look forward to making next year’s event even bigger,” Gahagan said.
Vande Linde said it was exciting to organize this event, and that it was incredibly meaningful for so many businesses to support the initiative.
“It’s exciting to see the Chanute community coming together for something like this,” Gahagan said. “The community support has been amazing.”
“We also want to thank Jessica Phillips (The HangOut), Kevan and Kayla Lair (K’s Place), and Amy Calahan (Outsiders on Main) for fostering accepting workplaces and environments where everyone can feel welcomed and accepted,” Vande Linde said.
Chanute has ties to notable LGBTQ figures, such as Gilbert Baker, who was born June 2, 1951, in Chanute and grew up in Parsons. Baker created the original pride flag in 1978. An exhibit titled “History Of the Rainbow Flag” on loan from the Gilbert Baker Foundation was on display at K’s Place, and a miniature version was displayed at the Chanute Public Library’s booth during the event.
The exhibit highlighted that for thousands of years, indigenous tribes from Bolivia, Australia, and Nigeria worshiped rainbow deities. Similar deities were also observed in Egyptian, Norse, and Chinese cultures.
The idea of a rainbow flag was not new when Gilbert Baker came up with the first Pride flag in 1978. Versions of it were adopted by various groups around the world for different causes. However, Baker’s version is now one of the most recognizable flags across the globe.
Outreach and Adult Services Librarian Chantelle Gontarz said the library was looking forward to next year’s celebration.
“We are happy to come out and celebrate Pride and our theme of ‘Color our World’ today,” Gontarz said.
Attendees made buttons and participated in coloring activities at the library booth. While geared for children, attendees of all ages participated.
Other attendees offered resources to others, including information about various LGBTQ-friendly healthcare centers such as the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas, and Planned Parenthood. The brother LGBTQ organizations, like Project Q&A, which is based out of Montgomery County, and Q-Space in Pittsburg. Other Kansas resources include The LGBTQ Foundation of Kansas, ACLU Kansas, and the LGBT Mid-America Chamber of Commerce.
“It’s really cute to be here and to be around others to celebrate Pride,” attendee Dean Varela said.
“It’s cool to see that such a little town has decided to go out and host Pride. Taking that step to celebrate and include everyone as they are is really great,” another attendee, Max Clawson said.
“There is something about Pride that transcends. It’s really sweet to see,” Varela said.
