For eight years, Bell’s Brewery has been proud to support our local Kalamazoo Pride event in downtown Kalamazoo. Kalamazoo Pride is the largest fundraising event of the year for OutFront Kalamazoo, whose mission is to create a just, inclusive, equitable, and supportive environment in Southwest Michigan for people of all sexual orientations and gender identities and expressions.
This year is no different; while we cannot celebrate in person due to the COVID-19 pandemic we are very proud to continue our support of OutFront with #StillProud, the first-ever virtual Pride Fest in Kalamazoo.
This year’s Pride event will be held virtually with events and programming throughout the month of June ranging from book clubs, civil rights panels and musical performances.
“We believe in the great work that OutFront does in our community and in fact, their message about diversity and inclusion needs to be heard now more than ever before. While we can’t be together in person, we will be united online,” said Larry Bell, president and founder of Bell’s Brewery.
“With that said, let’s get our sparkle on!” he added.
As the presenting partner for the month-long celebration, Bell’s is the also the Signature Sponsor for the #StillProudStillPerforming Drag Show on June 12 at 8 p.m. and the final Friday night event, a musical performance from Hannaniah on June 26, at 6 p.m.
The kick-off for virtual Pride Month was postponed from June 5 to clear the way for online and social media attention to be focused on uplifting the messages of Black Lives Matter.
“Over the past several days we have watched as historic events have unfolded,” said OutFront Kalamazoo Executive Director, Amy Hunter in a press release on June 3. Rallies and protests against the brutal killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade and others echo a familiar rallying cry; the end to deadly oppression of marginalized peoples. “Demands for liberation are not unlike the pleas of Black trans women that started the 1969 uprising at New York’s Stonewall Inn,” Hunter continued. “Then, as now, police brutality and injustice are fueling heartbreaking expressions of rage and pain.”
Sparkleberry Ale, a Belgian Triple brewed with raspberries, has annually been released in celebration of Pride in June. This year, it will be released in July, giving all an additional reason to continue the celebration beyond the month of June.
For a complete schedule of events and additional information, go here.
About OutFront Kalamazoo
- OutFront Kalamazoo's mission is to create a just, inclusive, equitable, and supportive environment in Southwest Michigan for people of all sexual orientations and gender identities and expressions. To be ‘out front’ means to be honest. To be visible. To lead. OutFront provides a place to be seen and heard; and is dedicated to co-creating a community that is safe, strong and #AlwaysOutFront.