Cape's first-ever gay pride festival held in Capaha Park

Hundreds filled Capaha Park for Cape Girardeau’s first-ever gay pride festival Saturday afternoon.

Food trucks and vendors lined the top of the hill near Capaha’s rose garden, while on the lawn below, activities included silk dancing, live music, games and more.

Organizer Amber Moyers said the event, which had been in the planning stages for about a year, was a dream she had sought to realize ever since she first attended a pride festival herself.

She said the events, which are held in many cities but are more common in those larger than Cape Girardeau, play an important role in helping LGBTQ members of the community feel welcome and valued.

Dayneen Glastetter, who serves with Moyers on the board of Cape Pride Inc. which hosted the event, said she would not have missed the event for anything. She showed up to man the “free mom hugs” booth, despite having broken her right arm earlier in the week. With a little unicorn-themed duct tape, she incorporated her sling into an overall rainbow-colored costume.

“This is history in the making for Cape Girardeau,” she said. “We could not be happier about the turnout.”

One attendee, Kristi Sharp, said she was thrilled to see the event held in Cape Girardeau.

“We’ve been to St. Louis [pridefest] and stuff,” she said. “It’s great to have it here though. The world needs more love. There are bigger problems to worry about, so let’s have some fun.”

Queens from Cape Girardeau’s oldest gay bar, Independence Place, drew perhaps the event’s largest crowds for two drag shows over the course of the afternoon.

Among the more amusing moments of the show was Sasha Moore, the so-called “Mother of Independence Place,” thrilled the crowd by taking a $20 bill from the lips of Gavin Gleason, who had offered the tip to mark his first time attending a drag show.

Gleason said he’d wanted to participate enthusiastically because he believed in supporting the LGBTQ community.

“I’m straight, but my sisters are gay, and so we’re out here as a family,” he said. “My thought is you can be whatever you want as far as this is concerned. I think it’s awesome that this (pridefest) is something that people do.”

Moore said the pridefest overall proved to be a resounding success.

“This is literally like a family.” Moore said of her fellow performers and the Independence Place community. “That’s my daughter Trinity and that’s my granddaughter Rain.”

That sense of camaraderie among the entire local LGBTQ community, she said, was similarly strong.

Organizers at the event were already discussing ways to improve the event for next year.