The local LGBT community and allies meandered through booths in a crowded Heritage and Science Park on Saturday and Sunday for the annual Rainbows Festival.
The Rainbows Festival hosted nearly 150 exhibitors and sponsors in support of lesbian and gay rights. The participating organizations ranged from gay-friendly companies such as Verizon and State Farm to all-inclusive religious groups such as Faith Evangelical Lutheran Church and the Episcopal Church of St. Mary.
“It’s a place where community can feel a sense of worth,” said Philip Swanson, the assistant organist from St. Mary.
The event is managed by Phoenix Pride, which purchased it in 2012. Phoenix Pride is one of the largest pride festivals in the country, said Rachel Evans, a booth representative for the organization.
“This is probably one of our more successful years,” Evans said.
Evans said the event began in 2002 and has since increased in size and influence, second only to the Phoenix Pride Festival in the spring. Most of the revenue generated by Rainbows Festival is used to support smaller organizations that cannot raise funds on their own.
Marriage equality was a common topic at the festival. LGBT activists marked a win for gay and lesbian rights when the Supreme Court found parts of the Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional during the United States v. Windsor court case.
“I believe that there is a big change coming on,” Swanson said. “But Arizona is lagging a little behind.”
Gerardo Ramirez represented the Why Marriage Matters booth during the event. He said Arizona is one of eight states where there is going to be a push toward marriage equality.
“There is a commitment aspect to marriage, among other things,” he said. “It is unequal when only heterosexual people can enjoy those rights.”
Jessica Joseph, a representative from the Human Rights Campaign, had a similar view to Ramirez.
“I would love to see (gay) marriage become legal in all 50 states,” Joseph said. “It’s all for equality.”
Some view religious groups as opponents to marriage equality. But some churches in Phoenix aim to be more inclusive for gays and lesbians.
“The Episcopal Church was a real leader in changing its ways about the LGBT community,” said Jeffrey Shy, the St. Mary organist and choirmaster.
Along with the Episcopalian booth, there were Catholic, Lutheran and Pentecostal booths, all advertising an inclusiveness that was unique to their religious communities.
There was a consensus among the interviewed people that Arizona was not one of the more gay-friendly states due to its conservative background. However, Joseph said she was confident that Arizona was becoming more of a “purple state.”
“Marriage is a fundamental right,” she said. “We’re here doing what we do and spreading the word of equality.”
Evans said she was just as optimistic.
“I think we definitely have a lot of challenges that we face in Arizona,” Evans said. “But I think that Arizonans can also surprise us.”
Contact the reporter at jestable@asu.edu
