Photos: Todd Gill, Flyer staff
Participants in the 2012 NWA Pride Parade marched along Dickson Street before gathering in the Walton Arts Center parking lot for a brief rally Saturday morning in Fayetteville.
Several organizers spoke during the rally before Mayor Lioneld Jordan read a proclamation declaring this week as Pride Week.
The theme for this year’s event was “Color Outside the Lines,” a celebration of the LGBT community in a ‘red’ state. The parade was in honor Linda Wilson and Art Beeghly, two NWA Pride organizers both who died in 2011.
For more information, visit nwapride.org or alloutjune.com.
Fantastic! I love NWA!
That rainbow Arkansas flag is suh-weet.
Thank you, citizens on parade and organizers, and thank you Fayetteville Flyer for getting this article posted with such alacrity.
Ever more reasons to admire Fayetteville.
Fayetteville is so cool. I applaude Mayor Jordan and the City of Fayetteville for proclaiming Gay Pride, Diversity, and Equal Rights for All. He is the first Mayor of Fayetteville to do this publicly every year since being elected . Very different than the active effort by Fayetteville City Officials in the early 90′s defeating the Human Dignity resolution. I do think Fayetteville magnificantly colors outside the lines creatively, progressively, and proudly. We even have an openly gay Alderman and an openly gay City Chief of Staff that don’t wear the Rainbow on their sleeve but just do a great job and to me are civic role models. Props to the lesbian feminist community that helped establish a progressive foundation for equality beginning in the 60s and 70s here in our funky town. Let us not forget the creative and fabulous gay men that also brought a rich character to our community in the 70s and 80s. Many of these men lost there lives at a young age early in the HIV health crisis. No doubt Dr. Johnny (Ms Cotton) is outragiously entertaining an appreciative crowd in the afterlife. I hope she is wearing hand painted platform pumps designed by our beloved Jon Schader. Here’s a toast to my gay friends and the community that celebrates them just as they are .
Very cool indeed.Great pics.
Here’s to diversity and respect for everyone, Fayetteville and everywhere. Thanks for the photo gallery, Flyer.