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Wednesday 6pm - 8pm Sunday 2pm - 4pm

Des Moines Pride Center

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Des Moines Pride Center

The DSM Pride Center is an inclusive space to access knowledge and experiences that deepen understanding of LGBTQIA+ history and our community.

Board of Directors:
President--Sarah High
Vice-President--Molly Shriver
Treasurer--Diana Prince
Secretary--Kristina Seier
Board Member--Rick Miller
Board Member--Taylor Thompson
Board Member--Ryan Buren

08/29/2026

See you this Sunday at the Pride Center for our q***r writing group!

Bring your latest work or come as you are and let your creativity flow 🌊

We can't wait to get started 💕

08/28/2026

🌈 Wear It Purple was founded in 2010 in Australia after a series of tragic stories highlighted the devastating impact that bullying, discrimination, and exclusion were having on LGBTQIA+ young people.

Whether you are at school, at work, in your local community, or celebrating online, every action helps create a safer, more supportive, and more inclusive world for LGBTQIA+ young people. 💕

👉You can find more resources here: wearitpurple.org/resources-2026

But the most important thing is to show up, start conversations, and help create spaces where everyone feels seen, supported, and celebrated.

08/26/2026

With August almost over, we wanted to take a minute to recommend some trans-focused books to celebrate . These recommendations are just a small sample of the rich trans-written, trans-focused, trans-inclusive books that we have in our library.

🏳️‍⚧️Trans Bodies, Trans Selves is a comprehensive resource guide for transgender people
🏳️‍⚧️Detransition, Baby is a fictitious social commentary on womanhood, relationships, and all the messiness that comes along with navigating them
🏳️‍⚧️Marsha is a biography of Marsha Johnson, a pioneering Black transgender activist, drag queen, performer, and self-identified street queen who became a central figure in the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement of the 60s and 70s
🏳️‍⚧️I Love My Purse is a delightful children's book on rejecting gender norms

Come check out these and MANY others at the DSMPC, open every Sunday from 2-5pm!

08/19/2026

🌈Join the Des Moines Pride Center Sunday, August 30, for our monthly workshop! We are here to provide a safe and encouraging space for q***r creatives to share and discuss their work. All genres and experience levels welcome!

Folks may submit workshop materials to [email protected] by August 28th. We can't wait to see you there!

✨Take what resonates, leave what doesn't!

08/16/2026

🌈 Hey beautiful people!

There's a lot of things going on with the Iowa State Fair, back-to-school prep, and end of summer plans. Make sure to add to your list to stop by our LGBTQ+ Library, the largest in the state of Iowa!

Come check out your soon-to-be favorite(s) today from 2-5pm in the Sherman Hills neighborhood! Stop by for books, snacks, and some water💕

08/02/2026

Join the Des Moines Pride Center Sunday, August 30 for our monthly workshop! We are here to provide a safe and encouraging space for q***r creatives to share and discuss their work. All genres and experience levels welcome!

Folks may submit workshop materials to [email protected] by August 28th.

Monthly workshop will be structured as such:

2:00-2:30: Casual free write from provided prompts (or from brain!)
2:30-3:00: Read and review writing submitted by other members. Opportunity to jot down what is working well in the pieces and any questions you have. Please avoid any prescriptive feedback unless explicitly asked!

3:00-4:00: Hour will be divided into equal time slots for writing to be discussed. We ask the writer being workshopped to remain silent during their time to allow for others to share their comments and interpretation of the work.

All feedback is subjective, and you the writer ultimately know what is best for your writing. This space is an opportunity to get different perspectives and to create community with fellow q***r writers. Take what resonates, leave what doesn't!

08/01/2026

August arrives carrying a profound responsibility: to remember, to honor, and to fight for the stories that have been erased. This is Transgender History Month, not just a time of reflection, but a radical act of reclamation. 🏳️‍⚧️

In August 1966—three years before Stonewall—transgender women, drag queens, and other q***r community members fought back against police harassment in San Francisco's Compton's Cafeteria Riot. After a targeted police raid, a cup of hot coffee sparked a spontaneous uprising that became a landmark act of resistance.

The people who stood up that night weren't just resisting oppression—they were imagining a freer world where authenticity is every person's birthright.

👉You can read more about it here: tinyurl.com/Compton1966

Celebrate this month with us and learn more about our beautiful trans community and the historic moments that shines a light on stories that are so often buried.

07/16/2026

Happy

Founded in 2009 by Adam Stewart, the day was created to provide a dedicated international platform to appreciate drag artists. While drag has roots stretching back over a century—evolving through underground subcultures and historic events like the Stonewall riots—this day celebrates the art form's transition to a globally recognized phenomenon. ✨

Now in Iowa, we know there have been different opinions on drag, but today, we are here to honor and recognize the art, cultural impact, and history of drag performers in our community and everywhere in between 🏳️‍🌈

👉You can find some of the amazing drag shows in Des Moines here: https://calendar.capitalcitypride.org/
AND you can check out some of drag history through our historical archives, open every Sunday from 2-5pm!

07/14/2026

Today we celebrate
💛 The yellow stripe represents those whose genders do not exist within the binary
🤍 The white corresponds to people identifying with all or many genders
💜 The purple stripe represents those who may consider themselves a mix of female and male
🖤 The black stripe accounts for those who identify as having no gender

Ensuring visibility of our non-binary folks, sharing their stories, and having them at the table is incredibly important. We see you, we welcome you, we celebrate you, and we NEED you in our community. Thank you for being exactly who you are ✨

Address

1620 Pleasant Street
Des Moines, IA
50314

Opening Hours

Wednesday	6pm - 8pm
Sunday	2pm - 4pm

Telephone

+15156126604

Website

http://desmoinespridecenter.org/

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