A new LGBTQ+ centered nonprofit is now open in the Gulf Coast region.
Coloring the Eastern Shore is an organization focused on increasing visible support and creating a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community along the Eastern Shore and Baldwin County. LGBTQ+ stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning.
Coloring the Eastern Shore President, Nathaniel Pendergrass, said the organization came together after the Color Fairhope with Pride event grew to be a popular pride event.
“The nonprofit itself actually got started late last year in 2023. What happened is Color Fairhope with Pride started in 2020. It started real small with sidewalk chalk and messages at the beginning of the pandemic. In the last three times that we've put on Color Fairhope with Pride, it has just gotten bigger and bigger and bigger and grown” Pendergrass said.
The organization is an offshoot of Prism United, another LGBTQ+ nonprofit in Alabama. The group focuses on mitigating the psychological, socio-economic and academic disadvantages that LGBTQ+ youth in southwest Alabama can face.
Pendergrass said Coloring the Eastern Shore wants to ensure the LGBTQ+ community has a voice and does not feel as if they are alone.
“We want to give a voice to our community and increase visible support of our community and create safe spaces in the Eastern Shore,” he said. “Essentially, what we don't want is people on the Eastern Shore in Baldwin County to feel like they're alone, they don't have any support, or they're out on an island by themselves. We want to bring all these people together so we can build a great community, and then move forward without anybody left behind.”
While the organization is still new, Pendergrass said Coloring the Eastern Shore is looking forward to expanding in the future to cover more cities in Baldwin County.
“Most of our focus has been on Spanish Fort, Daphne, Fairhope [and] Foley. That's where that's where most of our members are,” he explained. “We are very excited to build up our organization and eventually hope to support different areas in Baldwin County like Bay Minette, Robertsdale [and] Gulf Shores and just kind of grow from there.”
Pendergrass said Coloring the Eastern Shore is always looking for ways to allow people to get involved.
“Currently, we are up and running on Facebook and Instagram, you just search ‘Coloring the Eastern Shore,’ and we're gonna pop up. There’s a variety of different links on Facebook and Instagram where all you got to do is just click a link, fill out a form and we will get in touch with you,” Pendergrass said.
The organization is set to host a drag brunch and silent auction on Saturday, June 15 at the Fairhope Civic Center. Tickets can be found here.
To learn more about Coloring the Eastern Shore, future events and how to get involved with the nonprofit, click here.
