Downtown Kent was bustling over the weekend of October 13th as community members came together for their annual Kent Rainbow Weekend. Though Pride month is nationally in June, Kent State University recognizes that many of their LGBTQ+ members do not live in Kent during Pride month and wanted to create a weekend where students could become connected to their community. The Kent Rainbow Weekend has not picked a random weekend to place the various community activities, as National Coming Out day lands on October 11th each year.
Before the official weekend kick-off, Kent State had multiple opportunities for students to engage in community education and involvement. Students could come together to share words of encouragement, affirmation and share experiences on Friday with the Honors College. Students could also participate in the annual unveiling of posters for Kent’s Rainbow weekend. The LGBTQ+ alliance also provided students a welcoming environment in order to discuss issues surrounding coming out and understanding different identities. As these events were unfolding on the Kent campus, community events began as well.
Thanks to the partnership between Main Street Kent, a non-profit organization that focuses on the revitalization of the downtown Kent community, and the support of over 20 downtown businesses, Kent Rainbow Weekend began. There were a multitude of events of varying degrees of engagement that created welcoming and supportive environments for students and community members alike.
One of the main events of the Rainbow Weekend is the Rainbow Run, an annual run coordinated by and for the Kent State LGBTQ+ Center, which has been happening for eight years now. The proceeds from this run go directly to funding the LGBTQ+ Emergency Fund at Kent State, which helps support students on the Kent campus who are in crisis, usually after being financially disowned from family members after coming out as a part of the community.
On Friday night, different events kicked off; creating friendship bracelets, tie-dye t-shirts and moss art. These events were accompanied by an art show at Scribbles Coffee and the start of the Rainbow Film Festival, which continued throughout the rest of the weekend. There were also opportunities to shop for LGBTQ+ art alongside newly created rainbow-themed food and drinks provided by varying businesses downtown. There was also a workshop provided to the businesses involved that opened up conversations about inclusivity in the workplace and how to provide a safe space for community members.
On Saturday, the day was relatively cold and rainy, but that did not stop crowds from exploring different indoor and outdoor activities. Downtown Kent was busy with community members of various ages and identities. Many had tickets for the Kent Rainbow Walk, where participants could be recognized from the accompanying rainbow tote bags being carried through a variety of businesses. The Rainbow Walk, a new event this year, gave attendees information and access to businesses to receive free stickers, candies and prizes. This event was created to promote the exploration of Kent’s downtown businesses.
The Kent Rainbow Weekend, though relatively new, gave Kent residents a welcome and supporting place to bond and experience an overwhelming sense of community.
