This is a guest post by Sarah Malakoff at Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Minneapolis.
Have you wondered why there are Pride festivals across the nation this time of year? They’re all connected to the Stonewall riots that broke out the night of June 27, 1969, at the Stonewall Inn in New York. The Stonewall Inn was a popular spot for the GLBTQ community, and it wasn’t unusual for the police to raid the Inn, targeting the GLBTQ community and cross-dressers in particular. The raid on June 27 became a milestone event because Inn-goers fought back against the police. (An interesting fact about this event: Some say the riots had something to do with people gathering at Stonewall to mourn the death of Judy Garland.)
Pride festivals like the one here in Minneapolis are all part of the effort to organize for equality. J-Pride, a Twin Cities organization for GLBTQ Jews and their allies, is part of that effort to bring positive change to the community.
On Sunday, June 26, J-Pride will be participating in the Twin Cities Pride Festival, and we hope you’ll join us. Parade line-up begins at 10 a.m. at Loring Park in Minneapolis, and we’ll head out to dance the hora on Hennepin.
Join J-Pride and more than 25 other sponsoring organizations, including Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Minneapolis and TC Jewfolk, for this year’s Pride Festival Parade. There will be a live Klezmer band, so you can dance your way along the parade route, finishing at the J-Pride community booth with bagels and cream cheese.
To join the fun as a Parade participant or J-Pride booth volunteer, contact Dana Shapiro at 952-542-4871 or [email protected].
Temple Israel’s Rabbi Jared Saks says J-Pride sends an important message to members of the GLBTQ community: “We accept you,” he says. “I think the purpose of J-Pride is to provide a social, cultural and religious connection for GLBTQ Jews and their allies to be involved in the Jewish community.”
So here’s the message for you, no matter your sexual orientation: Join J-Pride on the 26th to show your support for the GLBTQ community. Be an ally and have fun!
The J-Pride Festival booth is sponsored by Adath Jeshurun Congregation, The American Jewish World, Amos & Celia Heilicher Minneapolis Jewish Day School, Bet Shalom Congregation, Beth El Congregation, Beth Jacob Congregation, Herzl Camp, Hillel at The University of Minnesota, Jewish Community Action, Jewish Community Center of the Greater St. Paul Area, Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas, Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Minneapolis, Jewish Family Service of St. Paul, Jewish Recovery Network, Minneapolis Jewish Federation, Mount Zion Temple, National Council of Jewish Women‹Minneapolis, Or Emet Humanistic Judaism, Sabes Jewish Community Center, Shir Tikvah, Sholom, Talmud Torah of Minneapolis, TC
Jewfolk, Temple of Aaron Synagogue, Temple Israel, United Jewish Fund and Council of St. Paul.
(Image: qthomasbower)
Menu
