Losing the touchstones of physically gathering last year was hard. Holidays were different, and the summer season especially.
One big lack last summer was the absence of Pride. But here in 2021, from large mainstream events like the Utah Pride Center's festivities to the constellation of independent events around it, Pride is coming back.
City Weekly caught up with two of the main players in one upcoming pride event, the Genderfuq 2021 showcase. Featuring a robust lineup of music and drag performance, this is one Pride kick-off event that's leaning on the socially-distanced outdoor model that's been perfected over some months at The Urban Lounge, where they'll be staged on Thursday June 3.
Sofia Scott, of Shecock & The Rock Princess, is organizing it, and playing in it, though on guitar in a different band called Vengeance Tampon. "It's an exciting time right now because things kind of are coming back into form, so it'll be a good return to form especially with Pride," she says. "I think Pride is probably going to wake people up a little bit because there've been a lot of people who've been scared to even leave their houses, or go to a bar or restaurant, so it'll be really nice to really ease up those people's tensions and worries." Genderfuq will still have a mask mandate, of course, and since it's outside, Scott thinks it will make people who are still nervous feel a little safer about being there at the show.
The show will also differ from past events, following a more revue-style schedule which will exclude breaks between the sets of the bands and performances from the host, Mona Diet, who will also do quick introductions for each performer. The headlining musical act will also perform alongside a drag artist, a novel feature Scott says she's wanted to see happen for a long time, since her early Shecock & The Rock Princess days.
When asked what the magical host Mona Diet is most excited about, they respond that besides hosting, they just can't wait to see friends and sing along to favorite Stop Karen songs. Stop Karen, a "long-standing Genderfuq alum" group, are well-known members of the queer music community thanks to their catchy pop punk style. Diet still marks their concern, though, with returning to Pride after such a strange year: "I am overwhelmed thinking about how many events are happening. This one event is as much as I can wrap my brain around."
And indeed, there are many events coming back, including of course Utah Pride Center's programming, which won't include a parade or festival this year, but rather more creative, COVID-safe, week-long programming. There are also others—Xinanx Creative's Burning Sissy Valley event further out in July, Princess Kennedey's Rooftop Pride Resurrection at Green Pig—always on the periphery of the official Pride business. "They're good to have around obviously," Scott says in reference to official centers like UPC and Encircle, "but also it's good to have other little factions and independent celebrations that are more true to the spirit of Pride and equality and acceptance."
This because official Pride events are also often coupled with what Scott and others call "corporate pride"—you know, rainbow-washed brands who come out once a year to get queer people to buy their stuff. "We don't want it on a commercial level, we don't want your rainbow Chevron-branded sunglasses," Scott says. "They don't necessarily do enough for the community, they just say that they welcome people, but then they could help us stand against [things like] these transgender bills, but they don't."
Those bills, of course, are this year's hottest Republican accessory—bills that put issues like trans youth access to sports and gender-affirming healthcare in their crosshairs. "It'll come back double hard because we were forced to take last year off and [there's] all this pent up energy, especially with trans people being a target now. That's even more reason for people to rise up and join forces and yell at the top of our voices that this isn't fair, this isn't equal rights, it's not civil," says Scott.
Mona Diet echoes this, and is ready to bring that energy double-hard, too. "Truly I'm ready to bring all of my energy to the stage," they say. "It's going to feel very strange to connect with so many people at once, yet still from afar. We will have performers' Venmos on display and will have different ways the audience can tip to show their support."
As for the performers, you can look forward to tipping if you decide to make Genderfuq your Pride kick-off destination. Musical acts include the aforementioned Vengeance Tampon, plus Eyelash and Worst Horse, with drag from Lux St. Diamond, Feral Ann Wilde and Agony Ray. The show has doors at 6 p.m., show at 7 p.m. and is $30 per ticket pair. Masks, seats and social distancing are all required, and info and tickets are at theurbanloungeslc.com.
"I hope we all remember how to be humans together ... apart," says Mona Diet. "Such weird times we are in, and we will all need to navigate together as we go. We're not out of the woods yet. That being said: I can't wait to rock!"