In Fairpark, we value diversity and appreciate cultures from all corners of the Earth. This is a neighborhood rich with a history of welcoming new residents from different backgrounds for generations. This month, we will be focusing on the LGBT Pride Month of June and we had the opportunity to sit down with one of our local west side celebrities, artist and drag performer, Miss Gia Bianca Stephens. Let’s get started neighbors!
LGBT Pride Month History
Did you know that Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month (LGBT Pride Month) is currently celebrated each year in the month of June to honor the 1969 Stonewall riots in Manhattan? The Stonewall riots were a tipping point for the Gay Liberation Movement in the United States. In major cities across the nation the “day” soon grew to encompass a month-long series of events. Today, celebrations include pride parades, picnics, parties, workshops, symposia and concerts, and LGBT Pride Month events attract millions of participants around the world. Memorials are held during this month for those members of the community who have been lost to hate crimes or HIV/AIDS. The purpose of the commemorative month is to recognize the impact that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals have had on history locally, nationally, and internationally. Utah Pride Day which was celebrated earlier this month drove record numbers to the Pride parade, the 2nd largest parade in the state only outdone by the Days of ’47 Parade. Utah is also the number one state for gay parents raising children.
“It is time for parents to teach young people early on that in diversity there is beauty and there is strength.” Maya Angelou
Gia Bianca Stephens – Rocky Mountain National Showgirl, Local Performing Artist
She’s even more beautiful in real life than she is in pictures. Tall, statuesque and stunning, Gia Bianca Stephens has been performing for years and could possibly be Fairpark’s most glamourous resident. Lately though, she’s been taking her talents to the national level.