Butler County Celebrates Pride Month
May 31, 2022 at 1:49 p.m.
Butler County hosts numerous Pride events annually, with one of the largest being Hamilton Ohio Pride which takes place on June 4th from noon until 6pm at Marcum Park. Middletown's annual Pride event will take place on June 24 and Monroe's Old Street Saloon has events throughout the year. To view a list of local events, visit https://www.butlercountyconnect.com/events/.
Many local businesses are supporting the movement, including the Sorg Opera House hosting "Considering Matthew Shepard", a play depicting the life and death of Matthew Shepard. In October of 1998, 21 year old Matthew Shepard was brutally beaten, tortured, and murdered due to being a gay man. Shepard's story has inspired many towards acceptance of differences, equality, justice, and safety for LGBTQ+ individuals.
"Considering Matthew Shepard" will be playing on June 2, 3, and 4 at 8 pm and June 5 at 3 pm. Directed by Richard Lee Waldeck, Vocal and Orchestral Direction by Sarah Plaugher, Sorg Opera House describes the event saying "In October of 1998, Matthew Shepard, a young, gay student at the University of Wyoming in Laramie was kidnapped, severely beaten, tied to a fence and left to die in a lonely field under a blanket of stars. Five days later, when Matt passed away, the world was watching. This three-part fusion oratorio speaks with a fresh and bold voice, incorporating a variety of musical styles seamlessly woven into a unified whole. Intertwined with a wide range of poetic and soulful texts by poets, passages from Matt’s personal journal, interviews and writings from his parents Judy and Dennis Shepard, newspaper reports and additional texts are poignantly appointed throughout the work. This performance is presented by INNOVATheatre and made possible in part by generous grants from the Middletown Community Foundation and First Financial Bank." To order your tickets visit https://www.cincyticket.com/eventperformances.asp?evt=5215.