Simplified: It's Pride Month. Ahead of the annual parade and festivities this weekend, Sioux Falls Simplified sat down with some local LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations to talk about what they wish more people knew about Pride, as well as the support they need – and not just in June.

Why it matters

  • Pride originated not as a party, but as a protest and a way to honor the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan. For Morgan Peterson, youth support staff with the Transformation Project, that historical context is "crucial" for allies to know.
  • Pride is for everyone, said Rachel Polan, president of Sioux Falls Pride, and it's also a way to connect people with all sorts of resources from health care to voting resources to community groups – especially those working year-round to support the LGBTQ+ communities.
  • Both Polan and Peterson noted that allies are an essential part of both Pride and the year-round advocacy supporting the rights and safety of LGBTQ+ people in South Dakota.
    • It's a particularly salient point as a new state law restricting transgender people's use of bathrooms, changing rooms, etc. in schools and state-owned buildings is set to take effect July 1. Meanwhile, organizations like the Transformation Project are facing significant funding gaps due to a lack of federal support.
"Allies, what we really need is the on-the-ground support," Polan said. "We need you to volunteer. We need you to donate, if you can. We need you to talk about issues for us when we’re not in the room."

Tell me more about Pride Month in Sioux Falls

This is the 25th year of Sioux Falls Pride, and this year's event kicks off with a downtown parade at 10 a.m. Saturday followed by the festival in Yankton Trail Park.

There are also a number of Pride events put on by other organizations, including an after-party at Club David, a drag brunch at Icon Lounge and a "Goth is Gay" event by Bat Haus Events later this month.

How can I help?

Sioux Falls Pride is looking for volunteers to help with the parade and festival this weekend.

The Transformation Project is looking to raise $50,000 by the end of June to sustain its Prism Center, the only LGBTQ+ community center in the state. You can support that work here.

"This place has saved lives," Peterson said. "And even at the most basic level, people can just come here, and they don't have to explain themselves."