Celebrating “Be-You-Tiful” Acceptance, Kids and Families March for Pride in Georgetown
By • June 5, 2023 0 1100
A beautiful morning to “Be-You-Tiful.”
On a gorgeous sunshiny June 3 morning, neighborhood kids and families, many adorned with celebratory rainbows and pride-themed colorful, sparkly attire, held a celebratory Pride Month march along R Street from Montrose Park to the Georgetown Neighborhood Library at 3260 R Street NW – with neighbors showing cheerful support and waving rainbow and pride balloons and signs – to the themes of LGBTQ+ pride, and acceptance.
Photo by Chris Jones.
Given recent national news headlines about anti-LGBTQ+ and “anti-woke” initiatives around the nation, however, the heavy police and volunteer security presence protecting the hundreds of marchers was not surprising. When the march was announced at the most recent ANC 2E meeting on May 30 with the theme “Be-You-Tiful,” commissioners were informed that march organizers were not going to publicize the event on social media to avoid negative attention, but were instead going to get the word out “organically” in the neighborhood.
Organized by the Georgetown Neighborhood Library and DCPL branches from Palisades and Tenley, the approximately one-hour event from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and held for all-ages – regardless of how participants identify their personal gender or preferences – appeared to go without a hitch, drawing no counter-protests despite a Fox News online article announcing the planned march.
Photo by Chris Jones.
An organizer for the march, Ruth Fitts, library associate in the Children’s Room of the Georgetown Neighborhood Library was pleased by all the help march organizers received to navigate the city bureaucracy to obtain permitting and to ensure safety for the children and adults participating and attending the march. “We got a lot of support from the city government who helped guide us through the whole process… And we really appreciate that. From the police, to the mayor, to the office on LGBTQ Affairs, everyone’s been so helpful…. The Rainbow Defense Coalition [a volunteer group to provide security] was here and the DC Peace Team [a city-sponsored non-violence support group] as well, and we super-appreciate that.”
March organizer Ruth Fitts, library associate in the Children’s Room of the Georgetown Neighborhood Library with pride-themed unicorn. Photo by Chris Jones.
We caught up with Marisa Bateman, another main organizer of the march who works as a Children’s Librarian at the Georgetown Neighborhood Library and does readings for kids several times a week there. “I feel great,” she said. “Everyone is so supportive and everyone’s really enjoying themselves. And we had a great turnout and great weather… We want to make sure all families and all children know they’re supported and loved no matter who they grow up to be and who they grow up to love.”
Bateman described the delicate balancing act between march organizers trying to avoid attracting negative attention to this inaugural march event in the neighborhood while also getting the word out to nearby kids and families. “We really just wanted to focus on it being a local neighborhood-based parade for everyone in the community.”
For those who might criticize such a pride-themed march for kids and families in the neighborhood, Bateman responded, “I would say this is more about showing every child and every family that there’s all sorts of people in your lives and that you may not know that they’re in your lives and you’re going to know someone down the road and someone might change how they feel about themselves and it’s important to let them know from the beginning that they’re supported and loved by their community and their families. And the library’s always a space for everyone. So this is an important place to start that.”
Photo by Chris Jones.
Along the parade route, we also spoke with a volunteer member of the Rainbow Defense Coalition who wished to remain anonymous. “Today has been great – no problems today,” they said. And, why is the march so important to the community? “It brings the community together,” they said. “It shows that the community embraces everyone. And it values equality and openness which I think is wonderful. Also I just think it’s fun. It’s fun for the kids and the parents. And it was great to just be part of it.” The volunteer described their role as a “de-escalator” on hand to prevent violence and/or reduce confrontations between counter-protesters and marchers. “Fortunately,” they said, no such interventions were yet necessary. Were a confrontation to erupt, however, they were trained to “basically engag[e] the hostile party in a conversation in a way that just keeps them occupied with you rather than the people you’re protecting,” they said.
We also bumped into ANC Commissioner Topher Mathews (2E02), serving as a parade marshall, along the route. We asked what motivated him to get involved in the march. “Obviously, the meaning of the parade is important. We can show support for kids no matter how they feel themselves to be and so I think it’s a great way to express that. It’s such a joyful way. And I’m happy to help it come off without a hitch,” he said. What did Mathews think of the balancing act march organizers had to perform in not publicizing the event too broadly? “It’s an unfortunate thing that [for] something so clearly joyful and supportive that you have to be wary of a certain section of the wider population … and not wanting to get their attention [but] we all remember what bullies are like growing up and sometimes you have to not get their attention in the first place. I think it’s a delicate balance and I think they struck a good one and I think the word has gotten out nonetheless, so that’s good.”
ANC Commissioner Topher Mathews served as a parade marshall. Photo by Chris Jones.
Mathews expressed relief that despite parade restrictions on the use of some of his constituents driveways during the event, he only heard positive reactions from the community. “Everyone I spoke to was very positive about it. Everyone on the street [today] has pride flags and people showing support. And I have not heard any objections from my constituents – and other than a few national publications – I think I’ve only heard positive reactions,” he said. And the event is “good for the kids and it’s good for the library,” he said. “It’s great to have a positive experience for everyone involved. And it’s great to have more parades, generally.
ANC 2E Commissioner Kishan Putta with son in tow. Photo by Chris Jones.
We also spoke with Duke Ellington School of the Arts 11th-grader Reb Spring about what the day meant to them. “I think it’s really exciting to have a pride event that’s really centering on youth. It just feels really uplifting and supportive,” they said. Several students around her who wished to remain anonymous chimed in. “I really love how many people turned out. It makes me feel loved and supported,” one said.
Photo by Chris Jones.
“Pride events always make me feel so happy because everyone there is accepting and so you can be like really out there and I really like that. And it’s so much fun. And I like everyone having so much fun. It makes the environment so much fun,” said another.
“I’ve never really done anything like this. So, it was just really fun… All of this just makes me really happy. I also like seeing all the different generations coming together. It builds a sense of community. To see the families and the students, it just feels really supportive,” said a third.
“I love pride!” the group said in unison with a laugh. With one adding, “Gay people – yippie!”
Photo by Chris Jones.
