Covid - 19 event update

Dear Baton Rouge Pride Friends and Family

For the past 13 years, Baton Rouge Pride has helped the LGBTQ+ Community of South Louisiana grow and prosper. The Baton Rouge Pride organization is dedicated to continuing to do that now and into the future. 

With the current landscape, and our world changing daily in a means to adapt to COVID-19, Baton Rouge Pride is committed to ensuring all members of our community are safe and able to reach the resources they need. As of today, we have sadly decided to postpone Pride Fest until we are able to set a date that will allow for all members of our community to safely attend. If you are a sponsor, resource fair vendor, advertiser or queerative market vendor who has submitted an application with payment, we will be contacting you directly via email or telephone. 

Though the years, the LGBTQ+ community has adapted to the challenges we face as the world changes. Today is no different. Today, more than ever, we must all remember why PRIDE was created: to show strength and solidarity among the LGBTQ+ community. Pride is about being compassionate for each other, being determined to make a change, and being a voice for those who don’t have one. We are all connected through the rainbow of life that makes our community whole.  

Though we may be postponing Pride Fest, Baton Rouge Pride is committed to providing resources. In the coming days, we will have a few Facebook Groups up and running.

• LGBTQ+ Parents of Baton Rouge. This group will be a virtual meeting ground for those of our community who are parents. In the future, we will have monthly meetups at restaurants and coffee shops. This group and future meetups will be lead by Pride Team member KD Linkous-Smith and his husband Shane Linkous-Smith.
• LGBTQ+ Business Owners and Allied Business Owners of Baton Rouge. This group will coincide with our existing Business After Hours series. In the group, we will focus on businesses helping businesses. In today’s climate, we need to help one another so we can all continue. This group will be led by Pride Team member Robyn VieCarpenter-Brisco, the brains behind Business After Hours.
• ACE BTR. This group will coincide with our existing ACE Meetup as a place for those who identify as Asexual. This group will be led by ACE Meetup founder and Pride Team member, Kourtney Baker.

Please remember that at this time we must all help each other. We can’t go hang out at the bar together or meet up for dinner. Check on your friends and family, use technology and share a beer or glass of wine over Facetime or another virtual method. 

With Love and Pride,
Christopher Bradford and the Baton Rouge Pride Team