June 14, 2026
NAACP Action Team
Jonathan Rich
BrevardBeagle.com
Members of the Transylvania County chapter of the NAACP usually congregate outside the Transylvania County Courthouse most Monday evenings before dusk for what they refer to as their “Moral Monday” protests, but the June 15th gathering will have a special focus as more than 200 members of the organization’s Action Team plan to hold what they believe is the county’s first official Pride Rally on the courthouse steps.
“This is the first Pride Rally and I hope will be the ‘first annual,’” organizer Jane Burns said of the event scheduled from 5 to 6 p.m. Monday. “We want to speak up with grace and kindness and fun to support all members of our LGBTQIA community and thank our allies.”
Moral Mondays are a weekly public demonstration near the courthouse steps and adjacent gazebo. Brevard City Council designated June “Pride month” at its June 1 meeting. Burns said Monday’s Pride Rally seemed appropriate to celebrate local supporters of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex and asexual community.
As with any rally, speakers plan to support those who agree with their cause with stirring words of dissent, but the Pride Rally is expected to be both a celebration of local LGBTQIA perspectives and a remembrance of the movement’s national legacy.
Jane Burns
“Pride month has such a deep and touching history, albeit short, in terms of history,” Burns explained. “It is a bow to those who have died as queer people—just for being themselves.”
The rally has the support of TC Strong, the Transylvania County Democratic Party, Good Trouble Transylvania, United Universalists of Transylvania County and the League of Women Voters.
Local NAACP President Tommy Gilmore will give remarks to open the rally and Burns said there will be mentions of the 1969 Stonewall riots in New York City and the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Fla. by other speakers to remember some of the tragic events in the LGBTQIA movements’ history, but there will also be moments of celebration planned.
In addition to waving numerous rainbow Pride flags, there will be contests for the most creative, funny or artistic protest signs with judges awarding $25 gift certificates from allied downtown businesses Cup and Saucer coffee shop, Highland Books bookseller and Blue Ridge Bakery (which has baked Pride cookies that members of the NAACP Action Team will have for sale at the event).
Brass Your Heart
Asheville’s self-described “community-driven radical marching band dedicated to providing street support to grassroots social justice” Brass Your Heart will provide music at the event. Burns said at the close of the rally all present will be invited to sing the patriotic/political anthem “Twelve Score and 10” celebrating the nation’s upcoming 250th anniversary and the dissent that created the United States of America.
Despite wanting the rally to be a positive event for the community, Burns does recognize that there will inevitably be those who do not agree with all that they see take place.
“Yes, we know that some people won’t be supportive and truly our wonderful LGBTQIA members have been politicized, but there is strength in numbers and truly at this time in our nation it is not ‘Dem vs. Rep’ or ‘woke vs asleep’ —it is the bottom 90% vs the top 10% in the Epstein class,” she said. “Truly, we welcome everyone. ‘Big tent’ is not just a saying.”
For those unable to attend the rally or want more help understanding LGBTQIA perspectives, Burns advises them to visit her online substack digital platform at substack.com/@urnevertooold, call the 988 free crisis support hotline, or contact TC Strong, the NAACP or the UUTC to learn more.
“One of the main goals is to have fun, but I guess that is also the goal—there are organizations and people here who love you and support you,” Burns said, “We see you, we love you, we support you just the way you are, and there are many of us who support you.”