The fifth annual Pride in the Plaza will celebrate love and acceptance with live performances, vendors from local businesses and wellness resources.
Live in Your Truth (LIYT), a non-profit dedicated to connecting underserved communities to wellness information, employment opportunities and other resources, organized the event.
“Pride in the Plaza is a vibrant day where our community comes together to celebrate authenticity, visibility, and collective joy,” said Phillip Alexander Downie, founder and Executive Director of LIYT and CEO of the MoCo Pride Center.
This year, Pride in the Plaza centers around the message of “we will not be silenced, we will not be erased.”
“Pride started off as a protest, and in this day and age, we are returning to our roots as authenticity, as resistance,” said Downie. “This year’s theme…calls us to stand proud, live loudly and honor the beauty, joy, love and resilience of the LGBTQIA+ communities.”
The group started the event in 2021 as an initiative for human services and health. While the celebrations have expanded, the group maintains the goal of connecting the community with wellness resources.
This year, the festival will offer free STI testing, a look at the county’s new Mobile Health Clinic, and opportunities to meet representatives from local health and advocacy groups.
“We want people to know that you have organizations who are working for you, working to ensure that there are affirming spaces that uplift you and your identities,” said Downie.
Attendees can also access wellness resources in the event’s new quiet lounge, a space designed for people to take a break or relax indoors with books, board games and other activities.
Festivities will culminate with the “Pride Mini Ball” ballroom dance contest and a performance from members of the “Drag Duels” lip-sync competition TV show.
Pride in the Plaza will take place on June 29 from noon to 8 p.m. at Veterans Plaza in Silver Spring. Community members interested in attending can register online on the LIYT website.
