No cops, no corporations: People’s Pride to illuminate the West Bottoms

Courtesy People’s Pride and The Ship

On June 27 and 28, People’s Pride will decenter corporate rainbow-washing for “two hot days of radical queer love and joy.”

Free to attend and based in the West Bottoms, the weekend starts with a resource fair at No Divide KC from 12 – 6 p.m., followed by CIRQUE DU FREAQUÉ at The Ship from 9 p.m. – 1 a.m. on Saturday. In partnership with We Love Sx Wrkrs, a Kansas City organization for and by sex workers, the party will celebrate kink and fetish but, according to People’s Pride, “ALL nipples and genitals MUST be covered.”

On Sunday, a vendor fair will take place from noon to 3 p.m. at West Bottoms Plant Co., to be followed by a parade to the main stage at The Black Box from 4 – 5 p.m. Performances will take place until 11 p.m. All events on Sunday are appropriate for all ages.

The People’s Pride manifesto says that Queer Pride began after the Stonewall Riots in 1969, led by “queer and trans people, predominantly black and brown skinned, many of whom worked as sex workers and struggled with housing insecurity.” These people took control of their rights by force, they state, and Pride must be a collaborative effort that “rejects the systems that seek to control and exploit us,” hence no cops or corporations.

The organization identifies as a “radical, grassroots, DIY celebration of queer resiliance.”

Masking is strongly encouraged, especially indoors, and free masks will be available all weekend. Free water stations will also be available, and attendees are encouraged to bring a refillable water bottle to use. For more information about accessibility at People’s Pride, read their full Instagram post.

People’s Pride isn’t funded by any large donors, governments, and obviously, corporations. In its fourth year, the event relies on the “vast generosity of the community to support this festival,” through donations from their GoFundMe.