Full of Pride

For our very first performance as the Purple Lemonade Collective, we gathered together and celebrated love and unity on a glorious, picture-perfect, Seattle summer afternoon at Pridefest. This project was a way for us to bring a little joy to our community, the week prior we grieved the tragic events that occurred at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando. As Artistic Director of the PLC, I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t a little worried about putting my performers in a situation that could prove dangerous. In fact, my own mother had reservations about us performing the show - however despite the reservations, I knew that showing up and showing out was not only something we should do, but it was also something we NEEDED to do.

One of my absolute favorite moments in this video happens around the 01:05 mark. You’ll see what appears to be a white, straight couple with their infant enjoying the show. At one point the mom hands the baby to dad so that she can dance and celebrate. Shortly after the dad puts the baby on his shoulders so she can see while he pats her back to the beat. This moment is so beautiful to me because it gives me hope. It shows me in my community that babies are still taught love, tolerance, acceptance, and most of all how to find beauty in our differences; to the parents of this child, thank you. When I look at the all the different people represented on the stage and in the audience, it makes me hopeful that as crazy as things are in this country now, there are still people in the world that believe in love, beauty, and most of all unity. This baby watching the show reminds me that we need to continue to be brave in the face of obstacles, we need to continue to provide environments that celebrate inclusion and love, because her generation is dependent on it.

- Ron “Vivien” Gatsby