Having fun and honoring the trailblazers

timeline of Atlanta Pride history and more.

But for many, it was just nice having a cooling off area to get away from the crowds.

“We were told by several people from several of the groups that I worked with that what a lot of what the older adults would like is just a place to sit down that’s not in a folding chair, that’s not in the middle of the park,” Thomas says.

They’ll be bringing back the Atlanta Pride timeline this year, along with snacks, a meet-up space for LGBT senior groups, a DJ and prize giveaways. Plus, this year AARP’s national office is sending a team in to do a photo booth pop-up to give people some- thing to remember the weekend by.

For Thomas, who says this is the biggest project AARP Georgia has done for the state’s LGBT community, Gray Pride is not only about providing a safe (and fun) space but honoring those who laid the foundation for where we are.

“It’s really important for us to realize that without the sacrifices and contributions of the older adults who were there at the beginning, who were there and can remember Stonewall, or who lost friends during the AIDS crisis during the ’ 80s…when you think about the sacrifices and the lives that these people have lived, I think that we should have some way of honoring them at every celebration and having a special place for them.

“And it’s a way of letting the younger generation have a time to talk or meet with or see a lot of people that they may or may not see in their regular interactions, because these are the people who made it possible for everybody to be out and be in with mainstream society as opposed to having to feel sheltered or be in a segmented part of society.”