Shepherdstown Gay Pride Parade Grand Marshal Rosemary Ketchum, who was the first openly transgender person elected to public office in the state, waves to the crowd along German Street on Sunday night. Photo by Tabitha Johnston

SHEPHERDSTOWN — LGBTQ+ community members and tourists alike filled the streets of Shepherdstown over the weekend, as they kicked off the beginning to Pride Month in a big way.

The weekend began with the all-day “Rainbow Connections: Building CommUNITY” pre-pride party hosted by The Roving Peregrine Theatre Company in the Black Box Arts Center. The party included a new event every hour, from 10 a.m. in the morning to 1 a.m. that night. Some popular events in the lineup included: a “Royal-Tea Party” with drag kings and queens, a “Rainbow Readers Story Time,” a LGBTQ+ history and inclusion talk, a staged queer play readings program and a drag show. Two other events were held throughout the day at the Black Box Arts Center: a gender-affirming clothing swap and a book fair, organized by Four Seasons Books.

A pride information center was open throughout the weekend at Evolve, where one of the business’ co-owners, Jan Hafer, was greeting visitors.

“We’ve had a wonderful weekend so far,” Hafer said, before pointing out some pamphlets provided by Fairness WV, which had a booth in the space for a portion of the weekend. “We were pleased to be able to help out with this major community event.”

One other Pride activity — a showing of “Kinky Boots” in the Shepherdstown Opera House — was held on Saturday.

A group of rainbow jellyfish make their way down German Street on Sunday night. Photo by Tabitha Johnston

The series of events were equally as busy on Sunday, beginning with an 8:30 a.m. pride-themed service at Shepherdstown Presbyterian Church. A second service with the same theme was held in the church at 11 a.m.

“This Pride Sunday, some of us are feeling a certain kind of way,” said guest speaker Chris Morehouse, before listing a series of recent events related to the loss of LGBTQ+ rights. “There was the erasure of the trans presence on the National Park Service sign at Stone Wall — no, they were the leaders. The legislature in Texas has made it illegal to be trans, in that state. The Supreme Court has agreed to take a conversion therapy case. Six states have signaled their willingness to overturn gay marriage. There’s a renewed effort to ban trans people from military service. And, most heartbreaking, there is a suicide prevent hotline that was disabled only for LGBTQIA youth.”

Morehouse said that diversity is something to be celebrated, rather than rejected.

“Let me go out on a limb and say that maybe, diversity is the point. Maybe we are meant to see the image of God in each other. Maybe we need each other,” Morehouse said. “When you can use your gifts throughout the community with authenticity, that’s a blessing.”

Sunday afternoon featured a free yoga class led by Mohalu Yoga in front of McMurran Hall. It was followed in the evening by a Banned Book Club discussion of Maia Kobabe’s book, “Gender Queer,” at Four Seasons Books; a Royal Revue Drag Show at Panagiota’s Taste of Greece; and the inaugural Shepherdstown Gay Pride Parade.

A Contemporary American Theater Festival staff member shares information about one play this coming season, "Happy Fall: A Queer Stunt Spectacular," in the Black Box Arts Center on Saturday. Photo by Tabitha Johnston

The full weekend would not have taken place, without the hard work of Shepherdstown resident Joan Moossy, whose plans to establish an annual Shepherdstown Gay Pride Parade inspired others to plan complementary events to help kick off Pride Month in the region.

“It was everything I could have hoped for, and more,” Moossy said of the weekend. “I would like to see it grow, and I would like to see the coalitions that were built at this parade further the activism in the community.”

She is already thinking about next year’s parade, which will once again be held on June 1.

“It’ll always be June 1, because I think there’s a certain level of excitement to kicking off Pride Month that we captured, and that we would want to capture in the future, by holding it on that day,” Moossy said, noting 25 groups marched in this year’s parade. “I hope those in attendance took away a sense of joy and celebration that’s inclusive of everyone in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, the United States and the whole world. And I hope that they are inspired to take their own action to make this a better world.”

Drag queens make their way down German Street during the first annual Shepherdstown Gay Pride Parade on Sunday. Photo by Tabitha Johnston

Community members march down German Street, holding signs about former Shepherdstown mayor Silas Starry, who is believed to be one the first openly gay elected officials in the U.S., during the Shepherdstown Gay Pride Parade on Sunday. Photo by Tabitha Johnston

A vintage car brings the parade to a close on Sunday night.