News

Source: Eye on Annapolis

The second annual Annapolis Pride Parade and Festival may still be two months away, but the excitement and anticipation were palpable this past weekend. During a reception Saturday at the Graduate Annapolis Hotel on West Street, Annapolis Pride Board chair Joe Toolan and founder Jeremy Browning unveiled the theme and logo design of the June 4 parade and festival.

“We are excited to announce our 2022 theme, ‘Many Faces, One Pride,’” Toolan said. “Annapolis Pride recognizes that the LGBTQ+ community is comprised of many people, all skin tones, genders, sexualities, religions, and abilities. As we come together again, we want to celebrate each and every person in our community. Each beautiful face represents a unique and powerful story.

“Now more than ever,” Toolan added, “it is important that we recognize that while each story is unique, we are in our own ways advocating for and pushing for a more inclusive Annapolis. When we all come together with each other we are powerful. Our collective impact is unstoppable.”

Annapolis Pride is also pleased to announce this year’s group of parade Grand Marshals including Abbie Ellicott, leader of the Coalition for LGBTQ+ Students; Drake Smith, former Anne Arundel County Board of Education student member; and Billie Hoard, Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) sponsor at Chesapeake High School in Pasadena.

“These individuals are strongly committed to making our school system a safe space for all students,” Toolan said. “I want to thank each of them for ensuring that future generations of students will feel supported and for their continued advocacy. It is an honor to have them marching with us.”

The three parade Grand Marshals shared Toolan’s pride and enthusiasm:

• “This invitation from Annapolis Pride is a phenomenal honor,” Hoard said “As a GSA sponsor and student advocate, I cannot express how encouraging and supportive Annapolis Pride has been both to me personally and to the LGBTQ+ youth of Anne Arundel County, and to my school specifically. I can’t wait to see our community showing our loudest, most triumphant pride on parade day!”
• “I am thrilled and honored to be a Grand Marshal in the 2022 Annapolis Pride parade,” Ellicott said. “It will be a wonderful day filled with joy, advocacy, and celebration!”
• “I am truly humbled and elated to be a Grand Marshal in the parade,” Smith said. “This will be my first Pride parade experience. I hope to continue marching as an ally long after the parade is over.”

A colorful and dynamic design was also revealed at Saturday’s event, which was developed by the Annapolis-based advertising agency Liquified Creative.

“It was such a fun project to work on,” said Kendall Brandt, the Liquified Creative graphic designer who created the 2022 design. “Annapolis Pride wanted to be sure we used all the colors of the rainbow and the pride progress flag. We also included the State House because it is such an iconic symbol of Annapolis.

“It is especially meaningful to me because Annapolis Pride is such an amazing organization with open-minded, creative people,” she added. “It is a real honor to be working with them.”

The new design reinforces this year’s theme and will be utilized through various materials for the 2022 event.

Anyone interested in preordering a t-shirt with the new design can do so via this link!

Liquified Creative Director of Marketing Caitlin Wiggins said 100% of t-shirt proceeds will benefit Annapolis Pride.

The parade route this year will be similar to 2019 and will take place along West Street, from Amos Garrett Boulevard to Calvert Street. The festival will be held on West Street between Calvert Street and Church Circle, and in The Peoples Park on Calvert Street next to the Whitmore parking garage and adjacent parking lots.

Annapolis Pride organized the successful Inaugural Pride Parade and Festival on June 29, 2019, that was attended by thousands and featured over 75 local organizations, businesses, and government agencies. The scheduled 2020 and 2021 in-person events were postponed due to COVID concerns.