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“THEY FELT REPRESENTED AND SEEN FOR THE FIRST TIME…”


Visibility is important as we grow our community, together.

On Saturday, November 20 Blue Ridge Pride walked, drove, and floated in the annual Asheville Holiday Parade. There were cheers and smiles everywhere. We had a great time sharing cheer with everyone there.

You never know who you may reach through visibility in the community, but this email reminded us how important it is and warmed all our hearts. We share it with you with permission.



Hi Tina and Butch,

We were so excited to see the Blue Ridge Pride float at the Holiday Parade on Saturday!

We were all there to participate, and two of the children staying at Trinity Place shared that they felt represented and seen for the first time, because folx like them were part of this event.

Thank you so much for being there and making such an impact.

Dr. Amy Hobson, ND

Pronouns: She, Her, Hers

Executive Director, CARING for Children

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Get some free publicity!

If your business, practice, or organization welcomes our community, let them know!


Join one of our welcoming directories:


Join our Welcoming Directory

Please visit our directory and join. It's free. We are excited for 2022 and the work this network will do to strengthen our community.


Join the Carolinas LGBT Chamber of Commerce (CLGBTCoC). In addition We encourage businesses to join the CLGBTCoC. Business membership covers the cost of gaining an LGBTE certification. Contact our new Program Director, Allison Fender, for more information about local plans in 2022.

Generation Plus

New initiatives Coming in 2022!


We are very excited about a couple new initiatives emerging in January 2022 in response to our survey. Starting on Wednesday, January 12, 2022 we will bring a morning chat time titled 'Coffee and Eqauli-tea Time' at 10AM. This virtual is offered on Zoom so you must register in advance.

Register in advance for this meeting:

https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYqd--qrDkvGNAwiZT5sXyaay9Qdp3wxfRT

 

We are also bringing back topic driven events through our new project Thrive!Time. Held on the third Wednesday of each month through FaceBook Live. Specific topics of interest such as nutrition, yoga, exercise and celebration will be featured AND we plan to go LIVE with in person events starting in March 2022!


Our great success with 'Rainbow Inspiration' the first Wednesday of each month in partnership with AARP WNC Mountain Region will continue to bring stories to life through our interviews. These stories continue to touch lives. Find a story here.

If you missed it, our monthly Rainbow Inspiration brought another fresh, diverse and interesting story for our community. On December 1, World AIDS Day, we met Eric Holt. Eric has had a transformative journey as someone who has lived with HIV/AIDS and is recovering from a substance use disorder and now serves on the Board of Directors for WNCAP and works for the Dogwood Health Trust and is thriving at 50+. You won’t want to miss the opportunity to be inspired and hear his story! https://www.facebook.com/blueridgepridecenter/videos/4488182401301905

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UNCA students working with our Oral History Project created the Blue Ridge Pride Pageant Hall of Fame


Our lives, Our Stories, Our Ways



2022 Initiatives and Events

Latinx Initiative (Heritage Language Speakers)

Portrait Project with our oral history narrators

Recording oral histories and digitizing archival materials

LOOKING FORWARD


Asheville Mardi Gras Celebration-

"The Great Comeback Carnival" February 27th

Masquerade Ball

April 30, 2022 -more information coming soon!

Drag Brunch

New Belgium- dates & information coming soon!

2022 Blue Ridge Pride Festival

YES we are coming back! September 24, 2022

PRIDE in Brevard 2022

We are delighted to be asked to help with the newest local Pride Festival- Brevard!


Community Coalitions

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Looking forward to 2022


Community Partner Fund

By the close of 2021 our Community Partner Fund will have distributed over $5,000 in grants to local organizations and programs that support our community. We thank our event volunteers, donors, and sponsors for making this possible. Apply for a grant. Donate to the fund (100% of fund donations go to other area organizations)


Welcoming 2022

Working with partners and establishing new beneficial partnerships presents exciting opportunities. Our work with the Age-friendly Buncombe County Advisory Group provides an opportunity to share information and direction for the growing LGBTQ+ 50+ community. Our work alongside Our Voice allows an opportunity to do some much needed advocacy work. Creating new partners in our Business Alliance allows us to grow the potential for LGBTQ+ businesses in WNC. And that my friends is just a small picture of Blue Ridge Pride moving forward.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES


BLUE RIDGE PRIDE IS LOOKING FOR SOME ENERGETIC AND CREATIVE VOLUNTEERS TO HELP IN A VARIETY OF WAYS INCLUDING SOCIAL MEDIA, GRAPHICS, SPECIAL EVENTS AND MORE.

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CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE VOLUNTEER FORM AND WE WILL GET BACK WITH YOU TO GET YOU STARTED WITH THE PRIDE FAMILY!

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We reached our 1k minimum which will be matched!

Let's keep the love flowing in support of our Community Partner Fund.

to donate please visit-

https://givelocalguide.org/nonprofits/blue-ridge-pride/


"Blue Ridge Pride has been a pillar of our LGBTQIA community for many years in Western North Carolina. Whether it be the many community-building events that they offer, the many community-based programs or the virtual community center, they have devoted time and love into making WNC a more inclusive, equitable and engaged community."

—Zack Schmitt, Asheville


We appreciate you helping to support our vision.

'Community Growing Together'

works for ALL.

Thank you to our

Diamond Sponsor for your generosity and support!

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