MARSHALLTOWN — This second annual Pride celebration happening Saturday will once again celebrate small-town central Iowa’s LGBTQ+ inclusiveness — and professional wrestling.
It’s the second year in a row that Marshalltown’s budding LGBTQ+ Pride event features a focus on the wrestling ring. In fact, wrestling is the first event of the afternoon tomorrow, following a welcome and blessing. It kicks off a noon to 4 p.m. celebration that also features a lip sync battle and “day rave.”
“I believe we are one of the first Pride celebrations to feature wrestling,” says Taylor Bear, organizer of the event at Marshalltown’s West End Park, 222 N. 13th St. “I have not seen wrestling at any other Pride fests or seen it advertised. It’s a unique and entertaining aspect to bring to our Pride. We are grateful to have them join us again.”
Marshalltown’s decision to showcase wrestling is a surprisingly good fit, in many ways. Marshalltown is home one of the country’s only pro-wrestling-themed burger joints, The Flying Elbow, and Saturday’s match is provided courtesy of Live Pro Wrestling, formerly RUGGEDPro Wrestling, also based in Marshalltown.
Overall, pro wrestling has embraced the LGBTQ+ community, with a new LGBTQ+ league forming and openly LGBTQ+ wrestler Andrew Bowens helping to further the connection.
This past year, at least one other community — Cartersville in southern Illinois, home to Ignite Pro Wrestling — also included wrestling in its Pride celebration. Marshalltown’s match will feature Leon King, a flamboyant wrestler from Des Moines, and Qc Wayne, a professional wrestler training in Tama and known for “ruthless precision.”
Bear said the day will also feature balloon animal art, vendors, and a lip sync battle. Numerous shops open nearby welcoming Pride celebrants seeking a break from the heat. In fact, heat is one reason this year’s celebration has been trimmed down to a tight four hours, from 12 hours last year.
Marshalltown LGBTQ+ formed two years ago to offer Marshalltown, a widely diverse town with a strong Hispanic and Burmese population, a sense of LGBTQ+ community without having to travel to nearby larger cities. The group also hosts year-round events including a Silent Book Club, Walking Club, Community Clean-ups, Dinner with Friends, a Happy hour meet-up and more.
Learn more about Saturday and more at the Marshalltown LGBTQ+ Facebook page.
