Out! Raleigh 2012
After the success of the first Out! Raleigh in 2011, the following year saw a bigger and better festival. The event was held just 3 days before the vote on Amendment One which would have significantly “undermined efforts to attract top employees to Raleigh by offering benefits to domestic partners”. The thought of this was ridiculous, but much support was behind the LGBT Center that year. Governor Perdue and Mayor McFarland declared that week “All Families Matter Week” (not to be confused with the popular 90’s sitcom). Important statistics were shared which, we want to echo right now:
2-million children in the United States are being raised by lesbian, bisexual, gay and transgender parents, with the majority of them in southern states
Households with unmarried partners - including same-sex couples - increased 55 percent in 2011
Only 48 percent of households in North Carolina are headed by married couples
Raleigh has the third-highest percentage of same-sex couples with children among metro areas that have a population of more than 1 million
Three percent of all foster children, currently live with LGBT foster parents
These statistics are clear indicators of the public importance for festivals like Out! Raleigh, which provide a family-friendly, safe and welcoming environment for all people to have fun and learn about issues affecting LGBTQ+ neighbors, friends, coworkers and family members.
The festival in 2012, included a performance by DV8, a group of 12-18 year olds educating the public about issues such as intolerance, bullying and teen suicide through song, dance, sign shows and more. Other entertainment that year included Someone’s Sister, pop duo TeamMate, dance team Team NOH8 (https://youtu.be/YkYbx5Id_s8), and Sayer McShane.
The spirit of activism that is tradition in the history of the LGBTQ+ community was alive and well that year. The festival was filled with community members and allies raising their voices against Amendment One while celebrating the individuality and inclusivity that has colored the community for years.