Last week I had the pleasure of chatting with two of Charleston Pride’s board members.
Brian Lee is the Director of Community Engagement and Seana Flynn is the Director of Development. Both of them joined the board in the past year and are excited about the future of Charleston Pride.
Every member of the board is a volunteer, and Charleston Pride is in its 15th year. “This is an exciting time for us,” Seana tells me. “We have ten new board members, all with a shared vision of combatting all of the hostility that we are facing right now.” Brian adds that the board is full of diversity and creative ideas. As someone who used to be critical of Charleston Pride for not doing enough to help the community, Brian tells me that a friend pointed out that joining the board was more productive than complaining. “Not only are we engaging our LGBTQ community, but we are also engaging the greater Chrleston community as a whole,” he explains. The organization is assisting with other community initiatives, including local clean-up and yard work. “We want to bring our light to the areas around us,” he tells me. “Love is love is about human engagement with another.”
“I’m still relatively new, but I can tell you that the group we have right now is the strongest and most diverse group of people I’ve ever had the pleasure to work with,” Seana tells me. When I ask about the future of Charleston Pride, both Seana and Brian are obviously excited. “Five years ago Charleston Pride was drag shows at various bars,” Seana explains. “Now we’re focusing on adding an education and community component.” She tells me that, at 15 years old, the organization is like a teenager, facing questions about their future and who they want to be. “We’re getting ready to push ourselves out of adolescence into something to really be proud of.”
When it comes to the current attacks on LGBTQ+ Americans from the Trump administration and beyond, Brian admits that the community is weary. “Nobody really knows what might happen but everyone is trying to strengthen each other.” He points to anti-trans legislation and growing hostility towards the trans community, and he emphasizes that Charleston Pride has their backs. “When you attack one part [of LGBTQ+] you’re attacking the whole. We want our trans community to know that we are here to circle the wagons around them and protect them.”
The two tell me that the mayor, William Cogswell, is not interested in establishing a strong relationship with Charleston Pride. “That hasn’t prevented us from doing what we’re doing,” Seana says. In fact, it’s only strengthened their resolve. Seana gives me an example: After 12 years of easily obtaining the permit for their annual Pride Parade, they suddenly faced strange and new requirements last year. Instead of feeling defeated, the organization submitted an application that was so well-implemented that the city now uses it as a model for other organizations. “We’re gonna show you how valuable we are,” Seana explains.“You have to be mindful of the bigger picture.” Instead of being petulant and frustrated, she tells me they chose to shine. They went above and beyond. “We want the community to feel safe and feel wanted, and it’s about meeting their needs.”
I asked Seana and Brian what they would tell someone who is new to the area and looking for queer community. Brian initially points people to social media groups, like the Charleston Pride facebook page. “The director of community engagement should be available to connect people,” Brian says with a laugh. “Reach out to us here at Charleston Pride.” There are also Facebook pages for LGBTQ+ Charleston, and Charleston Queer Housing. “Brian has done a great job with this,” Seana tells me. “We’re launching a link on the website for community engagement. I hope that we become known for being the go-to for newcomers to the area. I want to see us becoming a resource.”
The team is looking forward to their Pride Parade and Festival, which will be held in October this year. “I am excited for where we’re going,” Brian tells me. “I believe we are turning the page and I am so excited to see what these next chapters hold.”
Hey there. Laura Leigh here. I’m a wife, writer, mama, small business owner, podcast host, and the Head of Content here at Pink Robin.
I love supporting the queer community and bringing shared experiences to life.
If you have a story to tell, I’m here for it.
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I remember when my wife and I first became moms, I knew that our ability to “pass” was behind us. I was never going to pretend that my wife and family were something other than exactly who they were. It was freeing to know that I had to live my queer life out loud, that I would forever be myself in every space, all the time.
In a 2023 CNN article Daniel Korschun, associate professor of marketing at Drexel University explained that when it comes to supporting the LGBTQ+ community, executives “are becoming much more skittish about taking these stands and making strong statements.
According to a 2022 Pew Research Poll, roughly eight-in-ten U.S. adults say there is at least some discrimination against transgender people in our society. Because trans rights have become such a contentious issue across the country, companies that used to view supporting pride as “low stakes” have become less likely to support the LGBTQ+ community as a whole. “The pendulum is swinging a bit back … toward a more conservative approach, where they’ll be less vocal,” says Korschun. According to a recent NBC News article, Target stores will only sell pride merchandise in select locations this year. The retailer will not have Pride collections in about half of their locations. Additionally, they will only sell pride merchandise for adults.
An argument that Target has made in the past and is now using again is that this decision protects their LGBTQ+ employees, but let’s be clear: Conditional allyship is not support. Pulling queer merchandise from their shelves and essentially pretending that we don’t exist–and ignoring those of us who have children that want to celebrate pride with us–is detrimental to our community. Erasure threatens our safety. This weekend my mom told me that she’s done with Target. Like her, I can’t say I feel good about spending my money in a place that doesn’t value my family. As of today, the ACLU is currently tracking 515 anti-LGBTQ bills in the U.S. We exist, and abandoning us only endangers us.
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