The flags are raised and the trolley is wrapped, it’s Pride Month in Park City! A time to honor the history of the LGBTQ+ community and their legacy of love. Park City Library will play host to this year’s main events, offering its storied rooms and sprawling lawn as the backdrop for a month-long calendar of scheduled gatherings. All activities have been coordinated and hosted by Park City’s own LGBTQ+ Task Force in an effort to raise visibility, ignite conversation, and welcome both members and allies who call Park City home, be that year-round or just for a weekend.

With Salt Lake City a half-hour’s drive from Main Street, Park City hasn’t historically gone above and beyond to celebrate Pride, leaving much of the to-do’s to their big sister down the hill, but with the initiation of the task force in 2020, the union of government and community is working to bring visibility to town.

June 18th  - Living Library

11am – 2pm, Park City Library

Checking out a book is great, checking out an audiobook is convenient, but what if you could check out a person? Inspired by the concept of the Human Library, founded in Denmark in 2000 as a part of an eight-day arts and events festival, Park City has taken a page out of the Nordic book and launched the Living Library, where readers (or in this case, listeners) can check out a member of the LGBTQ+ Task Force, hear their story, ask questions, and engage directly with a member of the Pride community.

For information on how to reserve time, please call the Park City Library, or stop by to sign-up.

June 25th - Pride Picnic

11am – 2pm, Park City Library Field

In concert with Mountain Town Music, Lucky Ones, Equality Utah, Encricle, and Intermountain Hospital the LGBTQ+ Task Force will host their annual Pride Picnic at the Library field with entertainment by Talia Keys. This is a BYOP (bring your own picnic) event, free to any and all who want to celebrate Pride and enjoy the beauty of summer off-piste.

June 28th – Community Conversation

5:30-7pm, Park City Library

Join members of the LGBTQ+ community along with Mountain Mediation for an evening discussing the importance of visibility, safety, and responsibility. “Consider why some choose to be invisible and explore individual vs collective responsibility.”

LGBTQ + Task Force

With just under two years as organized members of Park City’s governing body, the LGBTQ + Taskforce is working to formalize their efforts, asking for community support, involvement, and conversation. Their ideas for Pride Month continue to grow, centered largely around amplifying visibility for those hoping to feel welcomed in a traditionally conservative state. Ideas range from increasing their members, to lighting the McPolin barn in rainbow colors, to conducting greater research into the needs of the LGBTQ+ members within Park City. For now, they ask that if you, or anyone you know, are interested in joining, please reach out to Lgbtqia_taskforce@parkcity.org.

History of Pride

In 1969 the Stonewall Inn, in New York City, was raided. Members of the LGBTQ+ community were dragged from the bar, arrested, beaten, and protests erupted in response to the brutality. In the following years, marches for equality were held to both honor the event and progress the ongoing economic and social limitations of gay, lesbian, trans, and queer Americans. The slogan, “Gay Power” was entertained, and while it was technically accurate that what the LGBTQ+ community needed was more power, what they did have, was pride. In 1999 President Bill Clinton first declared June Pride month, and in the years since it has become a time of celebration, remembrance, and momentum for equality.