Adams County commissioners were joined by dancers and the Adams Pride Committee to kick off Pride month June 14 at the Adams County Government Center.

Event organizer Freedom Roath, outreach and education liaison with the county, said it’s a true community event.

“We are bringing our community partners and resources from the area into our events and making sure that we have a lot of representation from other community partners so that there are lots of things to do, on top of our concert and their activities,” Roath said.

Adams County’s Pride celebration continues from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at Riverdale Regional Park with a ticketed concert at 7 p.m. with Todrick Hall and Vincent.

“We are very excited to have them here. They’re both very big queer icons and performers that we’re excited to see,” Roath said.

Adams County Public Works Director Brian Staley, another member of the Adams Proud Committee, noted that the county has recognized Pride Month before.

“It’s not the first proclamation for Pride Month but definitely the first Pride festival sponsored by the county,” Staley said

Focusing on foster family

The June 14 kickoff started with a short presentation by Commissioner Emma Pinter, who spoke about national statistics on LGBTQ children in foster care nationally. All states do not track the data the same way, she said.

“Nationally, about 30% of youth in foster care that identify as LGBTQ+ and 5% as transgender, in comparisons to 11% and 1% respectively of youth not in foster care,” Pinter said. 

She said more than 39% of these youth are required to leave their homes because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Staley said the Adams Proud Committee handles equity issues across the organization and is employee driven.

K.P. Longton, a foster parent coach for Adams County Children and Family Services, said the county has received two awards from the national Human Rights Campaign in 2020 — one was the “You Are Welcome Here” seal that certified the division as an LGBTQ welcoming and affirming agency and the second was a seal that certified the county as an “Innovator in Support and Serving LGBTQ Youth and Families.”

The June 14 presentation was followed by a dance performance by ArtistCO dance company with food and refreshments.