“That’s just pure evil.”

He said it while breezing past our table last weekend – a table that greeted him with two smiling faces and a colorful “Love Is Love” banner.

We knew our presence at Leander Local Fest would have mixed reactions. Plenty of people walked right past us with little more than a polite nod, while some gave no eye contact at all. That’s to be expected. The deliberate hate announced in the middle of a professional networking event, however, was not.

But neither was the amount of support we encountered. The allies seemed to come out of the woodwork of our small cities, as countless encouraging phrases soon drowned out the ugliest voice in the room.

“We didn’t know we had a Pride group!”

“This is so needed around here!”

“A Pride Festival? We’ll be there!”

“I’d love to volunteer!”

“Thank you so much!”

These hopeful words came from a myriad of faces: a new Texas transplant looking for connection; a queer couple excited to find like-minded friends; children looking up at our jar of flags to ask for one, then running off in a joyful sprint, waving the small rainbow above their heads.

And those were just the attendees. The businesses that were set up near ours stepped away from their tables to let us know we were in good company: a proud mother/in-law of a lesbian couple who was excited to soon welcome two newly adopted grandchildren; a candlemaker who immediately placed our Pride sticker on his tote; and a church leader who wanted us to feel safe sitting across from them.

Pride is about so much more than throwing a big party once a year. It’s about outnumbering the hate, one voice of love at a time. Thank you for adding to our numbers. Showing up is the most important thing you can do.

With gratitude and Pride,

Shannon Whiting & Virginia Shrader

Presidents of Leander Pride and Cedar Park Pride

Adapted from our Subscriber Newsletter March 6, 2025. Did you miss it? Use the form below to subscribe today.