01/23/2026
KEEP TUCSON Q***R!
Like many in our community, I was saddened by Tucson Pride's failure to organize a 2025 Pride event, and further disappointed to learn that this organization which has thrown our Pride festivals for many years is now closing and ceasing operations. I’ve been working on the idea for Keep Tucson Q***r for a little while, but with times being what they are, I think it’s best to push forward with an imperfect effort than to wait for something better. So, without further ado, I introduce to you: Keep Tucson Q***r!
When I first moved into the city 13 years ago, several of my favorite downtown establishments (many of which are, sadly, gone) sported Austin- and Portland-inspired stickers that said, “Keep Tucson Weird.” I embraced this weirdness and found my place on 4th Avenue, where I did marketing and event publicity at Antigone Books for six years. As time went on, a lot of what made Tucson “weird” was erased and displaced, myself and friends included. But we’ve decided that enough is enough, and we want to fight back: we want to Keep Tucson Q***r!
Keep Tucson Q***r is a brand new community group that will fundraise and organize events to bring our local LGBTQ+ community together. We hope to bring the Pride festival back to Tucson this year, but it’s a huge undertaking; we believe with the help and support of our fellow community members, we can make it happen! To achieve this goal, we are starting a Pride planning committee. Please comment or send us a message if you’re interested in joining!
Last but not least, there are a couple options if you’d like to stay up-to-date with our efforts. You can follow our Keep Tucson Q***r page here on Facebook, and you can also sign up for our email newsletter to receive updates and information: https://forms.gle/uy3QycGiAeu1tHAC7.
We will soon announce our official Pride Festival fundraiser, so stay tuned!
***r
