Small & Rural Pride Meetup
Friday, March 4th, 9:30 am
Presented by Christina Basso, Shawn Dixon, and Katelyn Dixon
Overview:
Join us for a community building meetup geared toward small and rural pride organizations.
About Christina Basso:
Christina never saw the ‘politics’ in supporting the LGBTQIA+ community. Through her eyes, she saw humans loving humans and creating happiness; the very essence of PRIDE. Because of this view, she was awestruck by the lack of awareness, acceptance and support for these groups across her northern Nevada home, especially in rural regions. The impacts she found were devastating: staggering suicide rates. She knew if the perspective could be shifted to show that every person, every where deserved to be seen, supported and celebrated, maybe more lives would be saved. She joined Shawn Dixon and Kat Soraci on the quest to bring PRIDE to Winnemucca, NV. Their efforts were met with excitement and more attention from places they never expected the ripple effect to reach. Winnemucca PRIDE had been born.
About Shawn Dixon:
Having been openly lesbian for decades in the tiny mining town of Winnemucca, NV, nail technician Shawn Dixon had the itch to celebrate the magic of PRIDE on a community level. However, the societal lean of her town made that seem pretty challenging. A medical diagnosis in Spring of 2020 cast out any remaining doubts; she decided to plan a PRIDE walk down a street with no expectations for a full scale event. She was met in solidarity by her daughter and a dear friend. They set to work creating an event and organization to bring love to the forefront of their community, changing things forever.
About Katelyn Dixon:
Raised by her mothers in Winnemucca, NV, Kat’s family was the exception to the accepted nuclear household rule in their town. Always proud of her moms, Kat got to live the base truth that families are composed of love, not gender. So when mama Shawn Dixon pitched the idea of a PRIDE walk, it was no surprise Kat jumped on board, to be joined by another shortly after. Kat had been an ally all her life, but now it was time to set visible change in motion. Little did they all know, the only speed available was ‘fast forward’.
