County to hold town hall on PrideFest, fairgrounds policy

Event set for July 26

BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

As emotions continue to swirl around the ability of audiences of all ages to watch drag performances at the Douglas County fairgrounds, the county’s elected leaders have decided to hold a town hall discussion on July 26.

“Few things are as buzzy and relevant statewide and nationally than this particular conversation,” Commission Chair Abe Laydon said at a July 3 meeting with county o cials. “And for us to be a largely conservative county, wrestling with issues of pride and drag queens, we’re actually right at the epicenter of it.”

Some area residents have expressed concern with last August’s drag show event at the annual Douglas County PrideFest. During that event at the county fairgrounds in Castle Rock, a performer’s breast plate and false nipple were temporarily exposed. Videos of the performance had circulated on social media, where some commenters expressed frustration with the exposure at an event not designated for adults only. Organizers had sent out an apology, saying it was not a planned part of the performance.

But the backlash continues even months later, ahead of this year’s planned PrideFest event. e board of county commissioners decided they will hold a town hall discussion about the issue before PrideFest takes place, hoping to clarify for the public what regulations apply to the fairgrounds.

During the meeting to schedule that town hall, Laydon said there are drag performers that are “family friendly.”

“Who would have thought?” Laydon said. “I think there is a segment of our community that has no idea that that even exists.”

‘Healthy conversation’

While discussing whether to hold a town hall, Commissioner Lora omas questioned whether Douglas County is the “right convener” for a conversation surrounding the type of activities that occur at PrideFest.

“I don’t want Douglas County to host something that was similar to what I saw at the Castle Rock Town Council,” omas said, referring to a recent meeting of the town’s leaders. She added: “It was just a lot of people on both sides venting.” e motion at Castle Rock’s council meeting failed 5-2, with Dietz and Councilmember Laura Cavey voting in favor of the letter. Dietz then motioned to continue the discussion about age restrictions on June 20, a request that failed 4-3, with Dietz, Cavey and Councilmember Max Brooks voting in favor. e Douglas County school board recently passed changes to what’s known as the school district’s parent engagement policy, which will now allow misgendering of trans or nonbinary students and sta . “Misgendering” is when a person addresses another individual using the pronouns that do not re ect their identity, such as not using they/them when a person asks for those pronouns speci cally.

Castle Rock Councilmember Tim Dietz had revived conversations about pushing to restrict Douglas County PrideFest to people 18 or older in a contentious meeting on June 6 that drew a crowd.

Dietz motioned to send a letter on behalf of the town to the Douglas County commissioners — who control the fairgrounds where PrideFest takes place — asking them to place age restrictions at PrideFest.

At the July 3 meeting of county ofcials, Wendy Holmes, the county’s communications director, wondered whether a county-hosted conversation about PrideFest would be constructive.

“We have what’s going on with the libraries, what’s going on with the schools, what’s going on at Castle Rock,” Holmes said.

And some area residents have pushed for restricting access to certain LGBTQ books during Douglas County Libraries district board meetings in recent months, Colorado Newsline reported.

“I’ve not seen our community have a healthy conversation about this. And I think conversations are important, but is this tool the one to do it?” Holmes said during July 3 meeting. Her thoughts came, she said, “as I think about the county’s reputation and what this community may or may not be ready for.”

Laydon agreed that reputation is important to the county, adding: “I think if we are not very careful and thoughtful about this, it can completely go o the rails. What happened in Castle Rock should not happen here.”

Laydon hoped the county can organize a panel that is “really healthy, and where it’s not healthy, we can manage for that,” he said.

He added he wants to hear from people about “the issues on all sides.”

Commissioner George Teal pushed back on the opinion that the discussion at the Castle Rock meeting was objectionable.

“I would correct my colleagues: Nothing happened in Castle Rock,” Teal said. “Castle Rock had a community discussion like they do often. Believe me — I was there.”

County changed fairgrounds policy

Teal spoke further in favor of the county hosting a discussion, arguing that the conversation is happening in the community already.

“We can have it here, or we can just let it keep going on out there, and it will get here eventually,” Teal said.

He added: “And there is education to occur in terms of what is and what is not viable and feasible. ere is still a great deal of confusion about our regulations for the fairgrounds despite our attempt to communicate them far and wide.” County sta had recently proposed changes to the county’s fairgrounds facilities policies, including an updated mission statement to state that all events are to be “family friendly.” omas has noted that PrideFest is not part of the county fair.

Another proposed change outlined that event holders agree “not to operate anything similar to a sexually oriented business” as de ned in the county’s zoning regulations, according to the document of fairgrounds policies. e commissioners voted 3-0 to approve the fairgrounds policy updates on May 9.

At that meeting, Art Kerkezian, cochair with the Douglas County PrideFest, said the event last summer doesn’t represent the values of the Castle Rock Pride group and the PrideFest.

“We have put in safeguards,” Kerkezian said, adding that the group has a clause in its policies that prevents nudity at PrideFest.

Castle Rock Pride is a nonpro t “building a supportive community in the Castle Rock and greater Douglas County areas for LGBTQ+ residents,” the organization’s website says. e nonpro t o ers community events and resources including monthly support groups, family meetups, educational opportunities and the annual PrideFest, its website says.

Set for Aug. 26 at the county fairgrounds, the Douglas County PrideFest includes local LGBTQIA+ supporting exhibitors, food and beverage vendors, and live performances, according to the website.

Planning panelists

Laydon envisions having members of the faith-based community on the county’s town hall panel, along with potentially inviting members of Castle Rock Town Council.

“I also don’t mind members of the LGBTQ community and those that are involved in free speech and performances to be there,” Laydon said, referring to drag performers.

“A representative of a G-rated performance, which would be the opposite of what we had to go through last year,” Laydon said.