Blue Ridge Pride

Community Partner Fund

In the first five months of 2022, we issued eight grants for a total of $4,500.  Grantees include established organizations such as Loving Food Resources, WNCAP, Manna Foodbank, and Youth OUTright.  We provided funds to four local art and theatre projects that share the story of the LGBTQ community.

Generation Plus

Generation Plus (GP) seeks to enrich the lives of LGBTQIA+ and allied community adults in Western North Carolina who are living life’s third act: the years beyond fifty. GP seeks to leverage the power of community by connecting community members and area service partners. Since June of 2021, the Generation Plus team has launched several programs to connect and inform the community.

Oral History Project

In a partnership with UNCA the LGTBQIA+ Oral History Archive project aims to document a richer, fuller, and more inclusive history of our region by recording the stories, memories, and artifacts of people in our community. We have captured, transcribed, and coded over 100 interviews with LGBTQ+ locals and their allies.  We have created a Time Capsule of archived photos, an LGBTQ+ Walking Tour of downtown Asheville, and have conducted workshops on oral history techniques. 

WNC Pride Portal

This year, we launched a portal that seeks to capture local LGBTQ+ news and events, as well as directories of welcoming businesses, churches, groups, and community service providers. Our aim is to provide this as a free service and to rely on community-contributed content. We seek to make it easier for the LGBTQ+ community in and around Western North Carolina to find welcoming resources.  

Business Alliance Project & LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce

We believe that the LGBTQ+ and business communities are very important to one another’s success. Our goal this year is to capture 500 welcoming businesses in our directory. Our team has also begun to collaborate with allied groups, such as Black Wall Street and Equity Over Everything. We have conducted workshops with emerging black entrepreneurs to discuss how best to reach the LGBTQ market.

Community-Building Events

While the festival remains core to our mission, we have expanded into many new types of events.  Public events play a crucial role in society.  They can unite or segregate. They can foster confrontation or encourage reconciliation. We believe that, as the world grows smaller, it is critical that we learn to share space together gracefully. We seek to create shared spaces that are welcoming to all. We seek to foster dialogues that are honest and challenging, but respectful and constructive. It’s a fine line to walk, but we believe that it is worth the effort.

• Blue Ridge Pride Festival – Our annual, family-friendly fall celebration of WNC’s LGBTQ community and our wonderful allies. It attracts 14,000 to 18,000 people.
• Welcoming WNC Procession – A parade of people rather than floats. We walk to give voice and visibility to all who aspire to a western North Carolina that is welcoming and equitable to all.
• Movies & Mixer Series – A summer film series coupled with a community mixer.
• LGBTQ Story Slam – Community members and allies share their most personal experiences.
• MX Pride Pageant – Showcases people who explore and express gendered identity in all its wonderful forms.
• Event Partnerships and Collaborations – We are working with other events, organizations, and communities in an effort to break down needless barriers