This coverage is made possible through a partnership between BPR and Grist, a nonprofit environmental media organization.
This weekend marks a convergence of celebrations and commemorations in Asheville. As the city honors the anniversary of Hurricane Helene, it also plays host to the vibrant Blue Ridge Pride event. Adding to the festivities is the anticipated visit from Pattie Gonia, a climate drag queen known for her unique blend of entertainment and activism.
Pattie Gonia is set to headline a show named SAVE HER, using her platform to raise funds for LGBTQ and environmental initiatives. Her efforts extend beyond performances, as she is a co-founder of the Outdoorist Oath, an organization dedicated to ensuring queer youth feel secure in outdoor environments.
The aftermath of Hurricane Helene looms large in the region, and the challenges to LGBTQ rights are intensifying across the nation. Pattie Gonia perceives a connection between these struggles, urging the public to acknowledge their interrelation.
“When I think about Asheville and Hurricane Helene and coming to celebrate Blue Ridge Pride, I think a lot about this quote from the AIDS crisis that said that they would mourn in the morning, fight in the afternoon, and dance in the evening, and it’s the dancing that we keep them going,” Pattie Gonia told BPR. “So, our show is mourning loss. It is definitely fighting back and it is definitely dancing to keep us going.”
The performance takes place amid ongoing anti-LGBTQ protests in regional libraries and schools.
This year’s Blue Ridge Pride theme, “resilience and resistance,” underscores the community’s dedication to climate activism and recovery from Helene. The Blue Ridge Pride website states, “As with all disasters, Helene disproportionately affected those at the intersections of marginalized identities. When we had nowhere to go, no one coming to save us, we stepped up for each other.”
