The Carolina Theatre of Durham prepares for the 30th Anniversary OUTSOUTH Queer Film Festival on August 14-17, 2025

While most of the big city parades/festivals took place in June, we have eleven still coming up in North Carolina in September and October. When Wake County developed a template of an anti-discriminatory ordinance, several communities adopted it. And they also scheduled local events. The big events for August are the OutSouth Queer Film Festival at the Carolina Theatre August 14-17 and the Charlotte Pride Parade and Festival August 16 – 17.

I recall the time a few years ago when the Gay Pride Parade in Durham was the only event in the state. An earlier event in Raleigh played out to be replaced later by the street festival OutRaleigh. It is a sample of the division on the issues that a Purple State like North Carolina the social norms would become more progressive while the politics becomes more conservative. When I see families with kids coming to our events, I have positive expectations. We just know how to have fun. Of course, our events are “sanitized” in comparison with San Francisco.

I guess the reason we are becoming more progressive is because the state is more urban, except that we have events in Sylva in the mountains and in the outer banks on the coast. The North Carolina General Assembly proposed six bills related to “gender identity,” which is the hot button issue with the Republicans. They forbid even the use of the word in public documents.

Another example of their obsession with the transgender community. It is less about labels than a preoccupation with sex of any variety. So far, we haven’t had any discrimination against the LGBTQ community regarding employment, housing or access to public accommodations (except for the T’s). Although the MAGA folks are clear in their hatred of us, even the President seems to have some ambivalent feelings toward us.

I was talking with a straight friend recently about how much the public opinion has changed during my lifetime. I hope that we don’t regress to the 1950’s, which the President presents as the ideal. I guess that he forgot that the top tax rates then were in the 90 percents!

A handful of public events will not lead to a more progressive state. Public appearances and discussions will if they are open to debate and not just harangues. When folks know LGBTQ+ people, they are most positive in how they perceive us. The issue is getting over the fear of “the other.” We have to become more than just a stereotype.

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