MARSHFIELD — In a small Wisconsin city where acceptance isn't always guaranteed, a group of organizers is preparing for their annual Pride celebration that has grown from an impromptu two-hour gathering to a full-day event featuring drag performances, live music and a message of love over hate.
The Marshfield Pride event, now in its fifth year, began when high school GSA advisers threw together a last-minute celebration in 2021. What started with frozen ice pops and chalk art has evolved into a comprehensive festival that organizers say provides crucial visibility for LGBTQ+ youth in rural central Wisconsin.
"It was such an impromptu event that year, and it was so beautiful," said Kellyn Jepsen, one of the lead organizers, reflecting on that first Pride. "All of our kids got up there and just shared what was important to them."
The event has become increasingly important as LGBTQ+ young people face mounting challenges. According to The Trevor Project's 2024 National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ+ Young People, 39% of LGBTQ+ youth seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year, with 46% of transgender and nonbinary young people reporting such thoughts.
For organizer Bryn Hiemstra, the event represents something even more personal. "I genuinely don't think I'd be here if I didn't have Pride," Hiemstra wrote in a statement. "I found my community and my people and my favorite thing (drag) within it."
The 2025 celebration will feature several components designed to showcase LGBTQ+ culture while remaining family-friendly. Organizers plan to open live music from Ophelia, a Marshfield native who now attends school in Stevens Point as an independent songwriter, followed by community panel.
The event's crown jewel remains its drag show, featuring both professional performers and newcomers. This year marks a significant change, with amateur drag performers getting their own separate showcase rather than being "tacked in" with the professionals.
"We're separating those," said Kellyn’s son, Will. "I think that'll be cool to just show that you don't have to be a professional, and that this is just really a fun thing to express themselves."
The decision to feature drag has drawn criticism from some community members who question the family-friendly nature of the event. Organizers firmly defend their programming choices.
"Our show, we make a point to make our show family-friendly," Kellyn emphasized. "If anyone has ever been to our drag shows, they've seen that it's very family-friendly, that we have more inappropriateness coming from protesters that's reaching our kids."
The organizers note that protesters have called participants derogatory names, creating a more hostile environment than anything happening on stage.
Despite the challenges, the event continues to draw performers with local connections. Many of the drag queens and kings featured are originally from the Marshfield area, though they may no longer live and work in the community.
"I don't think you know that there are people like this in your community, because this doesn't feel like the safest community to be who you are in," said Kellyn’s daughter, Ava. "So it's really important to us to give them that space."
The event also features vendors, Marshfield Area Actors performances, and the traditional open mic that harks back to the festival's origins. While fewer people sign up for the open mic now compared to that first year, organizers maintain it as a core component.
"We always make sure we have an open mic so that opportunity is still there, even though the event has grown and evolved," Ava said.
The current political climate adds another layer of significance to the celebration. The Trevor Project survey found that 90% of LGBTQ+ young people said their well-being was negatively impacted by recent politics, with 45% of transgender and nonbinary youth reporting that they or their families have considered moving to a different state due to anti-LGBTQ+ legislation.
For the Marshfield organizers, the event represents resistance through joy and community building.
"We must do what is necessary to fight for ourselves and the community so that it isn't so dangerous," Hiemstra wrote. "Every show we want to display our pride and give a safe and happy space for those who don't always have that."
The organizers acknowledge the increased stress of recent years but remain committed to their mission.
"We know lately in the community we are being attacked more than usual," Hiemstra noted. "It feels more and more dangerous to continue putting on events and being who we are but that's exactly why we do it."
As Marshfield prepares for another Pride celebration, the organizers hope their message resonates beyond the event itself: that love, acceptance and community support can flourish even in unexpected places.
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