Cedar Rapids Pride Fest celebrates diversity

CEDAR RAPIDS - Although the heated political debate over the issue of same-sex marriage continues, the annual Cedar Rapids Pride Fest went off without a hitch Saturday, its organizers said.

The event, organized by Cedar Rapids Unity, formerly known as the Gay and Lesbian Resource Center of Cedar Rapids, was intended to celebrate diversity in the community. It has drawn small groups of protesters in the past, but none were present on Saturday afternoon, said Trish Varnum, president of the group.

The festival wasn't a political event, said Matty Smith, a regional organizer for the gay rights advocacy group One Iowa. It was more “like a giant high school get-together.”

“It definitely brings the community together - especially in a close-knit community like Cedar Rapids,” he said.

Varnum put it even more simply: “It was an opportunity for everyone to come out and just be themselves,” she said.

Varnum, who along with her wife, Kate Varnum, was a lead plaintiff in the 2009 Iowa Supreme Court case that led to legalized same-sex marriage, said that some political rhetoric was tough to bear this year - especially when it came to squabbles over judicial retention.

“That was a disappointment in the way that came about,” she said, but added: “As always, we're going to be optimistic.”

Varnum said she hopes that Iowans' “Midwestern open-mindedness” will help ensure that the state will continue to recognize her marriage and those of her friends.

Rick and Vicki Smith, a married couple from Cedar Rapids, were walking their dog when they unknowingly stumbled upon the festival and began perusing the informational booths as rainbow-striped flags waved from seemingly every corner of Greene Square Park. They both said they learned a lot.

“To each his own,” said Rick Smith.