 SPENCER – Volunteers from Spencer Pride, Inc. promoted our organization and it’s upcoming LGBT History Month Event “Straightlaced” during the annual Apple Butter Festival this weekend in downtown Spencer. The Spencer Apple Butter is the largest event which happens in downtown Spencer each year. The second largest? The Spencer Pride Festival. Our annual education event for LGBT History Month will take place on Tuesday, October 16th from 7-9 PM at the Owen County Art Guild in Spencer. The event, which is also sponsored by White River Valley PFLAG, will feature a gender-related film followed by a panel discussion from educators, youth, and other relevant representatives who can help provide information and personal experiences with those in attendance at the event. Admission and snacks (provided in part by The Muffin Top) are both free, although donations are appreciated for those who are able to contribute.
 As in year’s past, the Apple Butter Festival is a great opportunity for us to market to the local community. Although we love attending other prides throughout the state (OUTfest and Fort Wayne Pride, for example), there is nothing like being “back home” to advertise the great things that our organization is involved with. It speaks so loudly for the LGBTQI community to have a presence at the Apple Butter Festival, since the festival is such a popular event with the local citizens, organizations, and businesses.
There were many great moments from this year’s Apple Butter Festival, but perhaps two stuck out the most in our minds. The first was a young man from junior high school who came to the Apple Butter Festival for one reason: to show his support for Spencer Pride even though his family isn’t supportive of the fact that he is gay. The teenager rode his bike 8 miles (as fast as he could, according to him) just to stop and see us at the festival. After nervously talking to us for a short while, he got back on his bike and drove back home.
The second most memorable moment was from a young woman, also a teenager, who stopped by our booth and said “This is MY booth!” She is currently experiencing a lot of hardship at home with one of her parents (who are divorced) and she’s undergoing legal proceedings to try and stay with her other parent (who is supportive of her). She was so pleased to see us at Apple Butter, and we couldn’t have been happier to see her, either.
Besides these two highlights, there were many, many more.
We would like to give special thanks to our many volunteers who helped us out with the event, including: Beverly & Judi, Dylan, Felix, Holley & Kate, Jacob & Jonathan, Jerry, and Justin. Without their support, we wouldn’t have been at the Apple Butter Festival at all.
For more information about our upcoming LGBT History Month activities, please contact us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or by e-mailing us at LGBThistorymonth@SpencerPride.org. To see more photos from our Spencer Pride volunteers at the Apple Butter Festival, visit our Facebook page.
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