Tag Archives: West Side Spotlight

Fairpark Celebrates LGBT Pride Month in June

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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!IMG_7663

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 ArtistIMG_7639

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.

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West Side Spotlight: Jorge Fierro, owner of Frida Bistro and Rico Brands

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“We all have a story, and America loves stories — stories of success, humbleness, working hard.  I am the epitome of the American dream.  It doesn’t mean I’m a rich guy, on the contrary, it means that the more I have, the more humble I become.”

As a 30 year resident of Utah, Jorge Fierro has become a respected leader in both the Latino and business communities and is a proud homeowner in Fairpark.  We were able to sit down with him for our February edition of West Side Spotlight.   Jorge serves our community on several non-profit boards including Locals First, the River District Business Alliance, and the Burrito Project.  He is very proud of the fact that volunteer members of the Burrito Project have been delivering hand rolled burritos to the homeless for over four years. Jorge is also on the board of the Lowell Bennion Community Center for the University of Utah, the Utah Microenterprise Note Fund, and American Heart Association Go Red Por Tu Corazón.  “This is a cause that I’m very concerned about.  Latinas are dying and we need to do something to raise awareness,” he said.Jorge-for-web

“One of the things I love about living on the Westside is the diversity. I LOVE how diverse it is. It makes me feel comfortable, like home,” he said. Jorge is very passionate about ensuring that the Latino population on the west side is involved.

“I would like to specifically tell the Latino community that the main reason why I’m so involved in non-profit organizations and volunteering projects is because we Latinos need to be MORE involved in our community. This is OUR community. Even though we may not have been born here, this is where we live; this is where our kids go to school. We NEED to take care of our community.  In the morning when we wake up, we wake up here; and at night when we go home, we come home here.  This is our home and we need to take care of it. I’m always looking for a place where I, Jorge Fierro, can make a difference. There is always more to be done.  America has offered and given me so much.  What I do, I do it because I have to share the success and I feel very strongly about making sure there are no injustices that happen and that everyone has a fair shot to a good life and a good education.”

We couldn’t agree more!
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