By James Tidmarsh, Photos by Nicki Abraham

TWIN FALLS, ID — “Building Bridges.” That was the theme of the first ever Magic Valley Pride festival, organized by the Southern Idaho Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender (SIGLBT) Community Center. The week long Pride events included a media training workshop, reception for the Community Center, legislative breakfast, an Idahoans for Fairness meet and greet, film night, and walk/candlelight vigil. The week’s events culminated on Saturday with a barbecue/potluck held at Cascade park in Twin Falls.

Keynote speaker Idaho State Senator Nicole LeFavour, Idaho’s first openly gay lawmaker, told the crowd of about sixty at the SIGLBT Community Center reception Tuesday that she believes that equality for the LGBT community is possible, but that it’s going to take the average citizen to make it happen. LeFavour stressed that it’s events like “Magic Valley Pride” that are going to help further the dialog in communities like the conservative Magic Valley area.

“There is no other place that I would rather be tonight.” LeFavour, told the audience. “What you guys are doing here is so amazingly historic, I can’t tell you how touched I am by your dedication and perseverance.”

Also speaking at the reception was Monica Hopkins, Executive Director of ACLU of Idaho, and Twin Falls Democrat Party organizer Dixie Siegal, who introduced Sen. LeFavour.

Magic Valley Pride spokeswoman, and SIGLBT Community Center Treasure, Nicki Abraham says the week long celebration served a two-fold purpose. “First to reach out to those LGBT individuals who feel alone and isolated, and secondly to dispel the myths, misconceptions and prejudices many still have in the Magic Valley about the LGBT community.”

On Thursday night, about 25 people attended the Magic Valley premier of Idaho Filmmaker Seth Randal’s ‘Fall of 55’ a documentary about Boise’s infamous homosexual witch hunt that same year. Randal told the group that gathered at the College of Southern Idaho that while he can see similarities 1955 Boise and of 2009 Twin Falls, he also thinks progress has been made.

Randal tells the group, “In 1955 Boise had a population of about 40,000 people, roughly the same size as the city of Twin Falls today, but we have become more visible as a community and with the help of technologies like the social networks and the Internet itself, we are able to organize much more quickly and much more effectively.”

On Friday night, between 30 to 40 people showed up to walk and display signs to remember those LGBT individuals in Idaho that can’t be visible. The peaceful walk ended with a candlelight vigil at the Twin Falls County Courthouse. SIGLBT board member Dixie Torsak reminded the crowd that people could still be fired for being who they are. She also pointed out that the group of people that gathered was just a drop in the bucket. “According to statistics, there are as many as between 2000-3000 LGBT individuals in the Magic Valley area, many of whom can and will be discriminated against until sexual orientation is added to Idaho’s Human Rights Amendment,” said Torsak.

Magic Valley Pride came to a close with a barbecue/potluck picnic at a city owned park. Close to 60 people ate, listened to music by Boise musician Rochelle Smith, and learned more about groups like Idahoans for Fairness, TCC in Boise, the Metropolitan Community Church, the Magic Valley Unitarian Universalist, Project Filter and others. The historical significance of the day was not lost on attendees. Torsak reminded the crowd that Saturday was officially the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, and that the struggle for equality will continue until all people are treated fairly and equally.

Organizers say despite heavy newspaper and local radio coverage of the week, there were no protesters or negative feedback from the larger community about the celebration. “We were amazed how supportive the majority of the community was,” says Abraham. “There was no hate mail, no letters to the editors, nothing. We will definitely do something like this again next year.”

Although this historic first ever pride celebration was a complete success, the SIGLBT Community Center is no stranger to the equality struggle. In 2007, the center was denied entry into the Twin Falls Western Days Parade. In 2008, Western Days organizers allowed the group to enter their float, but would not allow the group to display their name, or any reference to their mission or purpose.

This year the group took a different tactic. Rather than using their energies to build a float, the Center’s six member board of directors made the decision to focus their resources on putting together their own event instead, the first ever Magic Valley Pride Celebration and they did just that.

Despite the previous friction between the two organizations, Center members decided to reach out when they learned that Western Days might not happen this year for a lack of funding. “We went to the committee and we, along with several other Twin Falls businesses and organizations, asked how we could help,” says Abraham.

The Western Days committee then asked the Center to provide volunteers to help clean up the park during the three day event. “It was definitely a ‘bridge building’ experience,” says Abraham. “The organizers said we were the only Twin Falls group that volunteered our services to help make the celebration a success. They also told us that from here on out we would be welcomed into the parade with open arms.” The Western Days Committee officially thanked the Center in their ‘list of supporters’ ad that was published in the Times-News.

By this time next year, the Center hopes to have gained the attention and support of the Twin Falls business community, as well as local city and county government officials. The SIGLBT Community Center recently joined the Twin Falls Chamber of Commerce and will be working to network and provide resources to employers and fellow chamber members.

“We’ll be continuing our mission of providing outreach and resources to the LGBT Community of the Magic Valley, while working with local businesses to stress the importance of workplace anti discrimination policies as well as the many advantages of being open to the LGBT community, both as employees and as customers.” Abraham said.

Editors Note: Building bridges, in this very conservative part of South Central Idaho is no small task. This group showed their community, the State of Idaho, and the world, what dedication and commitment can accomplish. As we saw with Bend, OR Pride and this historic event, these small rural conservative towns across America are the real front lines of the LGBT civil rights movement. These brave souls are to be commended for standing up to the challenges they face in small town America and still finding a way to carve out a place to be themselves and be proud. Way to go Magic Valley!