Routt County and Steamboat Springs have officially proclaimed June 2025 as LGBTQ+ Pride Month, reaffirming their commitment to inclusion and visibility for the queer community ahead of the fifth annual Yampa Valley Pride Festival on Saturday.

At the regular meeting of the Routt County commissioners on May 27, Queer Futures Program Director Chelsie Holmes urged local leaders to “double down” on their support for LGBTQ+ residents. 

Holmes highlighted the significance of local action amid a national climate where queer rights are increasingly under threat, referencing a recent Utah law banning Pride flags on government property and schools. In response, Salt Lake City adopted the Pride flag as an official city flag, ensuring it could continue flying in public spaces — a move Holmes described as a “profound role that local governments can play in defending their citizens from the wave of bigotry at the state and federal levels.”

Holmes called on the county to fly the Pride flag on its flagpole throughout the month of June and to formally proclaim it as Pride Month, emphasizing that the town’s “ability to host the Pride event here … is actually a privilege that a lot of people are losing.” 

The commissioners responded with unanimous support. 

“We need to make sure we reiterate our stance that all people are welcome here and we will not change our behaviors or policies or programming to suit other governments who might think otherwise,” said Commissioner Sonja Macys.

Commissioner Tim Redmond recalled the first Pride festival five years ago, noting that initial concerns about backlash quickly faded.

“After that year, we kind of went, ‘well, this is a nothing burger,’ and from that point on, it was quite clear to me that this is an accepting community,” said Redmond. “We love you and we’re glad you’re here, and we support you and really commend you for not shrinking, for not hiding, for standing up and being yourself.”

“This proclamation is really a commitment to that dignity and inclusion for all,” added Commissioner Angelica Salinas, who underscored the need for visible, year-round celebration and recognition of the queer community. The resolution proclaiming June as LGBTQ+ Pride Month passed unanimously.

The city followed suit at its regular meeting on June 3, approving its own proclamation and joining the county in marking June as Pride Month.

In an interview, Abbey Iberg, a Yampa Valley Pride board member, described the upcoming festival as both a celebration and a protest.

“There is a little bit of a different energy this year in that we are here to party and we are here to protest,” Iberg said, referencing the increased urgency to show up for queer rights in the current political climate. 

“There’s a really good quote from during the AIDS crisis that people used to say: ‘You bury your friends in the morning, you protest in the afternoon, you dance at night,'” Iberg continued. “And I think that really captures the feeling going into this year in that we are not going to pretend like everything is OK and that we are not disturbed by the rhetoric that’s going on politically, but we are also not going to stop ourselves from dancing together and from enjoying our community and being thankful for what we do have.”

The festival, which runs noon-4 p.m. Saturday, will feature booths from queer-owned businesses, performances by Rocky Horror and Fresh Drag, and the annual flash mob on the courthouse lawn.

In addition to the festival, Queer Futures is hosting educational seminars and community events throughout June, offering opportunities for allies and community members to get involved and learn more about the history and significance of Pride.

“When the rights of one group are being threatened, it does end up shifting everyone else’s rights as well,” said Iberg. “This is really about protecting a vulnerable community, but this is also about standing up for humanity.”