Groundswell: In the Midst of the Pandemic, Pride Perseveres

As COVID-19 cases hit new highs in a number of states, many communities are doubling down on pandemic response and social distancing policies. This week’s Groundswell looks at ways communities are adapting existing local events, social programs, and celebrations to the realities of the pandemic.

Pride Month is celebrated in June to commemorate the Stonewall riots of June 1969, an uprising against police violence led by transgender people of color. Today, Pride parades happen annually in localities across California—but during the COVID-19 crisis, celebrations have either been cancelled or gone virtual. With queer and transgender people more likely to suffer economic, health, and emotional consequences during the pandemic, organizations are stepping up to support them. The Bay Area’s Our Family Coalition has published “Community Care In the Time of Corona,” a best-practice guide for organizations moving services online. The San Fernando Valley’s Somos Familia Valle hosted a drag show on Instagram Live to raise funds for the Black Trans Protestors Emergency Fund. And, because the cancellation of in-person Pride events also threatens the revenue streams of these critical grassroots nonprofits, proceeds from Global Pride 2020—which California organizations like SF Pride and LA Pride will take part in—will go toward an associated Relief Fund. The fund will channel resources to LGBTQI organizations in underserved regions, as well as to organizations fighting racism and systemic oppression.

Across the country, Indianapolis confronted food insecurity even before COVID-19. During the pandemic, food security organizations have thus taken on a two-fold task: meeting the urgent needs of the crisis while continuing to build a sustainable food culture in the city. Prior to the outbreak, conservative estimates suggested that more than 200,000 residents—about 22 percent of the city's population—lived in a food desert, while 40 percent of the city lived in a pedestrian food desert. Now, with COVID-19 limiting transit schedules, rideshare availability, and vehicles, access to healthy food in all neighborhoods has become more important than ever. Programs like "Growing Good in the Hood"—which gives cohort members no-cost farming plots in the Riverside neighborhood, as well as basic equipment and mentorship from experienced farmers—have continued and even ramped up efforts to recruit urban farming entrepreneurs. Meanwhile, in northeast Indianapolis, the youth program at Lawrence Community Gardens has continued its Next Generation Youth programming (with the help of former farmhands and a healthy dose of social distancing), and has continued delivering produce to neighbors through The Cupboard and The Sharing Place food pantries in this time of unprecedented need.

We’d love to learn how your community is adapting to these challenging times. If you have stories to share, please email passen@newamerica.org.