02/25/2026
Dear Community Partners and Friends,
🔗 for registration. e you to Pride Across the Plains, a FREE first-of-its-kind gathering designed to support q***r and trans leaders in rural communities who are organizing Pride festivals in their hometowns.
Across Oklahoma and neighboring rural states, Pride celebrations are more than events; they are lifelines. They create visibility, affirmation, and belonging for 2SLGBTQ+ people who may not have access to larger urban spaces. Yet rural Pride organizers face unique challenges: limited funding, geographic isolation, public pushback, safety concerns, and fewer support systems.
This one day conference, preceded by an evening networking mixer, will equip rural 2SLGBTQ+ community leaders with the tools, strategies, and peer networks needed to plan, launch, and sustain safe, inclusive, and joyful Pride celebrations.
📅 Event Schedule
FRIDAY, MARCH 27
Networking Mixer & Community Celebration: Space for rural Pride organizers, allies, and partners to connect before the conference begins
SATURDAY, MARCH 28
Conference Day
Keynote: Why Rural Pride Matters
Workshop Sessions include Planning Essentials, Lessons from Rural Pride Organizers, Funding & Sustainability, and a panel on Safety, Community Support, & Messaging
Conference Focus Areas
SOLIDARITY BUILDING
Facilitate meaningful connections among organizers who often work in isolation, fostering a durable statewide and regional peer support network.
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
Equip rural Pride leaders with practical, actionable skills to navigate event logistics, fundraising, safety planning, and community engagement.
STRATEGIC PLANNING
Share proven models and best practices for launching and sustaining Pride celebrations in rural and small-town communities.
We anticipate welcoming 50–75 participants representing at least 10 rural communities across Oklahoma and surrounding states. Attendees will include Pride organizers, 2SLGBTQ+ leaders, local advocates, educators, faith partners, and supportive business owners.
Why Across the Plains?
The name honors the geography of Oklahoma and the broader Great Plains region. It reflects the resilience of 2SLGBTQ+ people cultivating Pride in places where resources may be scarce but courage and community are abundant. Pride is not only an urban phenomenon. It thrives in the heartland, too.
By investing in Pride Across the Plains, partners help strengthen rural leadership, expand access to Pride, build local coalitions, and create safer, more inclusive hometowns for 2SLGBTQ+ youth, families, and elders.
📌 Get Involved
For more information or to discuss workshops or outreach opportunities, please contact:
Krista Moncado, Outreach Ambassador
918-743-4297 [email protected]
For more information or to discuss sponsorship opportunities, please contact:
Beverly Cotton, Grant & Development Manager
918-743-4297 [email protected]
Together, we can ensure Pride flourishes across the plains.
🔗 for registration: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf5os6UVl-pD869mTsYReVtF3KFZ9dEc84r4UHoeJFkNVGfGQ/viewform
