In its fourth year, Anoka LGBTQ Youth Pride has worked to provide a safe space for youth in the suburbs north of Minneapolis. The event will bring together LGBTQ youth from across the northern suburbs of Minneapolis for an afternoon of fun and socializing. It’s an important event for youth in a district where battles for LGBT students’ safety have been ongoing.

“The event was born from the idea that the young people in our community needed something positive to happen and something that showed clearly that they were supported,” said Jefferson Fietek, program director of Justin’s Gift, the organization that has organized the annual pride event.

Much of the reason for the pride event was the negativity that came from the massive debate over the Anoka-Hennepin school district’s handling of bullying of LGBT students.

Fietek pointed to letters to the editor, school board meetings, and the media, “was painting a very bleak outcome for anyone who was LGBT.”

“I wanted the young people in this community to know that there was hope for them and that the community overall supported them. I told my friend Tammy Aaberg about the idea and she loved it. We then shared it with a couple other community groups (Anoka PFLAG, Gay Equity Team and First Congregational Church UCC Anoka) and they loved the idea and agreed to come on board as well – the event was born.”

“Each year the event grows in attendants, volunteers and organizations who are present for the resource fair,” he said. “The first year it was sort of a one person show trying to coordinate it and now there are a team of people who work together to make it happen. We moved to a bigger location from our first year to accommodate more people and have added more activities and organizations.”

There will be live entertainment on Tuesday, some of it by and for youth.

But some things won’t change — the organizers are committed to making it a free event. Even the organizations who table at the event get their spots for free so long as they provide some activity for the youth who attend.

“I hope that this event has created a greater sense of community for the LGBT youth in our community but even more so I hope that it has drawn families together more,” said Fietek. “And even though things in our community are continuing to move forward in regards to creating safe and welcoming environments for all kids – we could still alway work to be more positive and this event is still about that.”

People interested in supporting Anoka LGBTQ Pride and the work of Justin’s Gift can donate at the organization’s website.

[sws_blue_box box_size=”100″] Details
Date: Tuesday, August 12, 2014, from 4:30pm to 8:30pm
Location: Coon Rapids Dam Regional Park 9750 Egret Blvd NW Coon Rapids
Admission: Free
For more information, visit Justin’s Gift. [/sws_blue_box]