It was announced recently that Wynwood Pride, a Florida Not-for-Profit corporation, will host its inaugural festival in June during National LGBTQ Pride month.
Wynwood Pride will include a unique array of neighborhood activities, panels on LGBTQ issues, film screenings, and mural installations. In addition, the inaugural festival will feature a non-profit “Community Village” which will include organizations focused on LGBTQI Youth, Justice, and Health.
Activations will include HIV testing, counseling information, wardrobe donations, text-to-donate opportunities, and more. All 20 non-profits will be onsite gratis as part of the festival’s deep-rooted commitment to the local community. The festival team has been hard at work communicating with dozens of organizations both local and national that will participate.
Aside from the 20 dynamic organizations chosen for the Community Village, Wynwood Pride will partner officially with three important local organizations that will be beneficiaries of the proceeds from the festival. These three entities were specifically chosen because of the individual missions and invaluable work that they do in the community.
Youth’ partner:
Pridelines was chosen as the Youth Partner due to the organization’s grassroots approach to provide support, educate, and empower South Florida’s LGBTQI youth and the community at large. Pridelines provides services such as access to emergency housing, transportation/relocation assistance, internet access, and warm showers for queer youth experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
Founded by LGBTQI youth for LGBTQI youth and their allies, the organization is rooted in a peer-led/adult-facilitated youth group model. With the help of Dr. Marilyn Volker, Pridelines was one of the first community-based HIV testing sites in Miami-Dade County.
More than 30 years later, Pridelines continues to provide social support, skill-building, leadership development, resources for mental health, healthcare, and support services for LGBTQI youth and their straight allies throughout South Florida.
For more information visit www.pridelines.org.
Justice’ partner:
The Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice is a public foundation rooted in the LGBTQI community and movements. The group works in strategic partnership with foundations, individuals, and governments to ensure that their resources reach the activists who need them most. Most importantly those who are best positioned to make transformational impact over time.
To this end, Astraea raises and distributes funds to programs and initiatives led by and for diverse constituencies. They prioritize groups led by lesbians/queer women, trans, gender non-conforming people, intersex people, and people of color. Since their first $200 grant in 1980, Astraea has granted more than $40 million in over 4,500 grants to 1,700-plus grantee partners in 99 countries and 48 U.S. states. It is one of the only philanthropic organizations working exclusively to advance global LGBTQI justice around the world. They also are one of the first women’s funds in the world.
For more information bisit www.astraeafoundation.org.
‘Health’ partner:
Survivors’ Pathway is a non-profit organization providing services focusing on mental health. Too often there is a lack of focus on mental health advocacy. Survivors’ Pathway brings this to the forefront while offering a victim center serving Latino and LGBTQI victims/survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, hate crimes, and any other type of violent victimization.
In 2017, Survivors’ Pathway delivered services to 1,421 victims of different crimes. These services were offered at its main facility as part of their program with Miami Dade County’s 11th Circuit Court Domestic Violence Unit and at Hialeah Court House. Of these, 268 of the victims identified as gay, bisexual, and lesbian.
Survivors Pathway has the largest program in the state of Florida serving Latino transgender women. Since 2012 they have served 512 transgender individuals through the organization’s Trans Latina project. Of the 1,421 victims served since 2017, 70 percent received trauma informed mental health services, 8 percent access psychological evaluation for immigration purposes, 80 percent received advocacy services, 15 percent were tested for HIV and access to medical care was facilitated. 2Twenty percent attended support groups and 10 were provided with court companionship and other court related services.
For more information: www.survivorspathway.org.
All three partner organizations were selected based on their exemplary work for LGBTQI Youth, Justice, and Health which are the community pillars of Wynwood Pride. The overall goal of Wynwood Pride is to serve as a catalyst for communication, education, empowerment and unification of the LGBTQ community through many different mediums.
Although informative, there will be a loy of fun and entertainment. The much-anticipated month-long celebration will culminate with the Wynwood Pride Music Festival on June 21-23, showcasing local and international LGBTQ talent. The live concert series will feature international headliners such as drag-pop superstar Pabllo Vittar, Aja, Dorian Electra, DJ Citizen Jane and Carmen Carrera as host. Additional programming includes drag shows, lip-synching battles, late-night deejays, large-scale art installations, voguing competitions, and more.
The Wynwood Pride Music Festival will take place at The Wynwood Marketplace, 2250 NW Second Ave., and is open free to the public. Dates and times for the festival are: Friday, June 21, 4 p.m.-3 a.m.; Saturday, June 22, noon-3 a.m., and Sunday, June 23, noon-10 p.m.
The Wynwood Pride Music Festival is produced by SWARM, in partnership with the Wynwood BID. Wynwood Pride is a registered Florida not-for-profit corporation.
To RSVP for free admission and to learn more about Wynwood Pride Music Festival and Wynwood Pride’s monthlong schedule of events, visit WynwoodPride.com.
