Throughout June, members of the LGBTQIA+ community and supporters celebrate Pride month, and this year, Port Huron Pride partnered with local businesses and organizations to celebrate with a full calendar of events.
“Port Huron Pride started a few years ago with few isolated events, but recently has become so much more with all community support,” says MJ Collins, Port Huron Pride event coordinator and local drag queen
Supa Salad.
Earlier this year, Supa Salad performed during a drag show at the
Raven Cafe that they say was a success and resulted in conversations with local organizations and business owners.
Local drag queen Supa Salad (MJ Collins).“Pride for me isn’t an organization — it’s embedded in the community here,” Collins says. “It never went away, folks were just afraid of showing their colors and their pride. So I went around and asked ‘What does your business look like during pride?’”
The group’s events kicked off this past weekend with one of its partners for Pride month at The Foundry for Paint and Drag with Supa Salad. On the calendar for later this month,
Enter Stage Right at The Citadel Stage will be hosting a three-part special Pride month performance: an ‘80s glam rock-inspired wrestling show featuring the Gorgeous Ladies & Lads of Wrestling, a nautical-themed runway fashion show, and an exhibit of local LGBTQIA+ artists’ work.
“I know there were many before me that tried to bring together like this. I felt that with my networking skills, public speaking, and business relationships it really captured this movement of the community realizing that people in the LGBTQ+ community are everywhere and live within the Port Huron culture,” Collins says.
There will also be a documentary showing of “Port Huron and Pride” at The Citadel Stage which Collins says will highlight the perspective of various individuals across the gender and sexuality spectrum ranging from a conservative man who believes in human rights to those in transition.
“I think there is an opportunity for education in and around the LGBT+ community as well. Too many people assume the worst and it’s when we sit down and have open-ended conversations that people really start to make progress,” Collins says.
For more details about upcoming Pride month events or to keep up to date on news from Port Huron Pride, visit
facebook.com/porthuronpride.
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