Why I Showed Up, and Why I Keep Coming Back

I didn't know exactly what to expect when I signed up to volunteer at Boulder Pridefest last summer. I just knew I wanted to do something, something that felt real and tangible, something active and positive. What I got was the opportunity to be part of a mission and a community.

I didn't have a long relationship with RMEQ when I signed up. I had grown up in Boulder, and I had somehow taken for granted all the space RMEQ (and previously Out Boulder County) had been holding for this community the whole time. That was until I attended Boulder Pridefest in 2024 and felt the kind of love and belonging that are seldom experienced in our disconnected world. I knew that Pridefest would come again in 2025, and I knew I wanted to participate as more than an attendee.

We're living through a moment that is undeniably hard for a lot of LGBTQ+ people. Rights that felt settled are being challenged. Families are navigating fear while trying to find joyful moments where they can. For many in our community, simply existing publicly takes courage. What I witnessed at Boulder Pridefest, and what I've come to understand more deeply since then, is that RMEQ creates space where that courage is met with celebration and unwavering support. This is an organization that helps people who feel like they don't belong find out that they do. They belong here.

As a volunteer during Pride, I knew what my job was: help things run smoothly and help people feel welcome. And what it felt like in practice was being part of something that genuinely mattered to the people showing up. I watched kids see themselves reflected in the crowd for maybe the first time. I watched older folks tear up a little. I stood next to strangers who by the end of the day became something closer to neighbors.

That's what volunteering with RMEQ actually is. It's not just staffing a table or directing foot traffic even though you may do those things. It's being a visible, physical expression of the idea that this community is not alone because there are people who show up for it over and over again.

Pride Month is coming up again, and we all need something to celebrate as a community. RMEQ is building up our volunteer base for events across the region, so if you've been looking for a way to plug in and turn your values into action, this is a genuinely good place to start. It was for me.

Fill out the volunteer interest form here, and I hope to see you out there.