(cheerful music) - With games, prizes, food, and community support, Ana Chavarri highlights how Encircle's free, family-friendly Pride Carnival strengthens belonging and support among Utah's LGBTQ+ youth.

Thank you so much for being here, Ana.

- Thank you for having me.

- So, tell me about Pride Carnival.

- So, Pride Carnival is a celebration that we have started at Encircle, and it's to send a message to LGBTQ+ young people in the community that they deserve a safe space to be celebrated for who they are, that we love them, we stand behind them, and that they deserve all the beauty, all the celebration that happens during Pride Month.

It's a family-friendly event, so there will be free food, free activities.

We bring community partners.

It really is a celebration that we're putting together.

- [Liz] I see those kids so excited to get the cotton candy there.

(laughs) - [Ana] Yes.

- Why do you also mix this event with bringing resources to the community and making sure that they are able to connect with those resources?

- Yes, I mean, at Encircle we offer a variety of resources, but we wanna connect these people to other community resources.

We wanna build a network of support so that people can use their resources, can find community in various places, and ultimately thrive.

- And you've been doing this event for several years now, and I hear it draws hundreds of people.

- Yes, last year we had about 500 people attend across our four locations.

So it is a beautiful way that we love to celebrate Pride with our Encircle family.

- I also love that you guys do get out of the Wasatch Valley and offer this in other locations as well.

Why is that important to have that outreach there?

- Because we wanna send a message to everyone, not only those who are the closest to resources, but Pride is a time for celebration, is a time of joy and community, and we really are trying to make that effort to make it as inclusive and accessible as possible.

- All right, well, I think you guys are succeeding.

Thank you so much for being here and sharing this.

If you would like to learn more information about how you can participate in Pride Carnivals, the two events are June 14th in Salt Lake City or June 27th in Provo, Heber, and Ogden.

Encircle is putting this on, and you can head to their website for more information.

That's in encircletogether.org.

I'm Liz Adeola, and thank you for watching "Contact."

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Hi, I'm Liz Adeola, the host of Contact, a show that connects you with local events and organizations that serve your community.

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