BELLEVILLE, IL - Hundreds of pride goers attended the 7th annual Metro East PrideFest celebration in downtown Belleville, Ill. on Saturday, June 21 where the highlight of the day was the same-sex marriage ceremony held at the Main Stage.
Four gay and lesbian couples from both sides of the river were wed in a touching ceremony officiated by Fr. Marek Bożek of Saint Stanislaus Church in St. Louis, a welcoming Catholic faith community that cherishes the Polish heritage of its founders and celebrates diversity of all who enter. Same-sex marriages were recognized across the state of Illinois on June 1, 2014.
“This was an historic day,” said Alex Young-Baker, who wed his partner Bob. “Not only because we were married in front of our friends and family, but also that the great state of Illinois now recognizes us as a legally married couple.”
“We are looking forward to the adventures that the rest of our lives will bring and the people that get to join in our happiness and to finally receive all of the benefits that our straight friends receive,” Young-Baker continued. “The most special moment was seeing our parents together watching the two of us exchange our vows; truly a remarkable day.”
Following the ceremony, the newlyweds participated in a reception around the stage, complete with champagne toast and cutting of the cake. Pockets of applause followed the couples as they walked the festival grounds throughout the day.
Metro East Pride was founded in 2008 with the vision of marrying the festive LGBT Pride celebration with Main Street U.S.A. While the annual event has grown substantially over the years, it still retains the intimate feel of the smaller town celebration and has proven a draw for LGBT revellers from both sides of the river.
Rainbow flags lined West Main Street for three city blacks as crowds listened to musical acts and browsed dozens of vendor booths. While an evening thunderstorm cut the festivities short around 8 p.m., organizers consider this year’s event a success.
“Pride was amazing,” said Adam Kaemmerer, Vice President of Metro East Pride of Southwestern Illinois, which produces the event. “I’m very proud of how festival ran and how quick we had it taken down and cleaned up.”
Kaemmerer was recently elected president of the organization and assumed office following festival.
This year’s Brenda Grissom and Dixie Ruliffson Community Service Award was presented by MEPSI to long-time festival emcee Dieta Pepsi. The newly renamed Doug Bernier Spirit Award was given to his family in his memory. Bernier is a former board member of Metro East Pride and was a member of the Gateway Men’s Chorus.