FAIRFIELD, IA. — One of Iowa’s smallest, yet most diverse, communities revives LGBTQ+ Pride events this weekend for the first time in two years, hosting a Safe Space Crawl, concert, variety show and fair/picnic.
With a crew of leaders that includes a drag performer with ties to Iowa City and Cedar Rapids, and an 11-year veteran of the Androgyny performance group, the Fairfield Pride Committee re-formed about three months ago.
Their goal this weekend is to demonstrate that Fairfield, an eastern Iowa town of about 9,400, is a safe space for queer and LGBTQ+ people at a time when many Iowans with those identities are scared.
Above, clockwise from top left: Maurissa Brown, Jared Brown, Lisa Ellis and Steven Cardinal of the Fairfield Pride Committee.
“With everything that we’re going through, I feel like this year is definitely a year for us to stand up loud, be proud, and let each other know that we’re not alone,” says Maurissa Brown, president of the committee. “It means a lot to me that our community is not eradicated or stung by fear that is constantly being shoved at us.”
“There’s a lot of fear,” says Jared Brown (no relation). “This is a small community, and the queer community here in Fairfield is still establishing itself. We want to make sure they know there is somebody looking out for them, and for us, helping to create a safe community.”
Fairfield kicks off its Pride celebration Friday night, with a Safe Space Crawl and a Loud and Proud concert featuring Hey, King!, a band newly relocated to Fairfield, and Crone Age Crush from Iowa City. The fun continues Saturday evening with a variety show. Sunday afternoon, Fairfield Pride hosts a picnic and vendor fair.
Fairfield: A spiritual community that is “accepting” but leaves some on the “fringe”
Fairfield is known nationwide for its spiritual diversity, partly because of the Maharashi International University located there, which teaches “consciousness-based education.”
“That’s one reason I came to this town (20 years ago), because of the meditators,” says Steven Cardinal, vice president of the Pride Committee. “There’s this meditator vibe, there’s this local Iowa farm boy vibe, and there’s this Christian vibe.”
That dynamic has meant a generally accepting community, but one that leaves some people feeling they are on the “fringe,” Cardinal says. Coupled with Iowa’s Republican-dominated and highly conservative Legislature and governor and laws that seem to focus on transgender people, Fairfield’s sense of “fringe” means many people still feel safer in the closet, Cardinal says.
“I know a lot of people say, ‘Oh, it’s 2025, and everybody should just be used to the LGBTQ stuff,’ ” he says. “But the truth is, some people are still a little afraid to come out. So I think Pride is about letting those people know that it’s ok.”
Like many rural communities, the Fairfield community feels less safe the farther one travels from the center of town, says Jared Brown. “Even today, there are certain parts of town that not all of us feel safe going,” they said.
Lisa Ellis, the committee’s treasurer, identifies as an ally and says that since about 2016, “a lot has opened my eyes.” She is committed to supporting a group of people who are “just humans.”
“People can be so cruel with things ….. I don’t care if they’re girls, or guys … I love them. I think they deserve a chance.”
The Fairfield Pride Committee also worked with the Fairfield City Council at the end of May to pass a proclamation honoring Pride Month. The document also declared June to be LGBTQ+ Safety Awareness Month.
“The City of Fairfield is dedicated to fostering acceptance of all its citizens and preventing discrimination and bullying based on sexual orientation and gender identity, and is strengthened by and thrives upon the rich diversity of ethnic, cultural, racial, gender and sexual identities of its residents; all of which contribute to the vibrant character of our City,” read the proclamation in part.
Learn more about all of Fairfield Pride plans this weekend at the Fairfield Pride Committee Facebook page.
