This year, 25 staff members and their families from different library locations participated in the parade and represented the system by walking. One of the participants said, “I’m so glad I was able to participate. Seeing how supportive and appreciative the community was makes me glad the Library is involved. This event was the first of its kind and hopefully the first of many more LGBTQ+ events in the library system. The Summit brought community members and organizers alike to the library. Participants met established and emerging leaders from organizations such as One Voice Charlotte, PFLAG Charlotte, Atrium Health and the Library for an afternoon of learning, networking and the kick-off of Pride week at the library. This year the Library also held a Pride Summit at Beatties Ford Regional Library on August 13, organized by Viviette White. Our group photo of that day gained the most likes on Instagram of all the library posts up to that point. During the parade, it was clear by the amount of people excitedly shouting, “It’s the library!” that our participation was important to our community.
As part of that mission, the Library started participating in the Pride Parade in 2018 by being one of the many groups to walk in the parade. This year, over 200,000 attended with over 6,000 participants.Ĭharlotte Mecklenburg Library prides itself on being a welcoming place for all-a place where we celebrate diversity and inclusion. Every third weekend in August, Charlotte Pride holds its annual Pride Festival and Parade. Since Charlotte’s first Pride Parade in 2013, it’s grown bigger, better and has attracted hundreds of thousands of people.