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Pride Times Two

 


Howard County celebrates Pride twice and I’m a fan. Once in June and and again in October. Today, from 12 - 5 pm, is OEC Pride's Sixth Annual Pride Festival: Exist, Persist, and Love!




Visit the HoCo Pride FB page for a site map and information on parking. That’s where I learned that the trolley will be adding a stop at the Courthouse Lot just for Pride - - expanding their usual route to give attendees more options for parking. 

The event is free. Click here to register.

The following statement is both reassuring and depressing to me:

Huge shout out to AfterHourz Security who will be protecting us throughout our event!! We know they have our backs so we can have yours!

Everyone attending the event deserves to be safe. The fact that additional security is necessary in Howard County in the year 2026 makes me sad. 

I couldn’t find OEC Pride on FB Events or Visit Howard County Events, the Columbia Mom events listing, Columbia Inspired, the Columbia Scoop newsletter events listing, the Baltimore Banner What to do This Weekend…

Is this some kind of deliberate omission or is this a decision from the Pride organizers to draw less attention to the event?  Perhaps they’ve never promoted it through community events calendars. I don’t know. 

Howard County Pride will take place in October: Merriweather Park at Symphony Woods. When I learn the date I’ll let you know.

Of course there are plenty of other activities going on today that are posted on local events calendars so have fun perusing your choices. It looks like it’s going to be hot so stay hydrated and don’t overdo it. 

I’m going to be taking a moment over here to contemplate what it means for our LGBTQIA friends, family, and neighbors whose very existence and innate love and humanity are under attack and for whom any celebration is, by necessity, an act of resistance.

Exist, Persist, and Love.



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