Queerbomb changes format for 2025 Pride celebration, citing organizational roadblocks

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A locally organized, annual Pride celebration will look different this year after organizers said they faced challenges in the planning process.

Queerbomb has made several posts on Instagram over the last few weeks about this year's event looking different than past events.

On Wednesday, the account made a post sharing more details, saying that the event would be held as a picnic and sign-making event on the south lawn of the Texas Capitol, rather than its typical Pride march and rally.

Queerbomb's post cited a few different reasons for the format change, but mostly focused on a change in volunteer staff and organizational roadblocks.

The post said that last year's "already small volunteer crew" held off on planning for the event until January, but ultimately "no longer had the capacity to make this happen." The group then asked the community for volunteers and said that though people stepped up to help, they were "still short on the people needed to make a large-scale, multi-part event happen this year in half the time."

Queerbomb also said in the post that it had planned to host the event at the same venue that was used last year, but that the venue "wanted to censor the rally or move it away from the main stage."

KXAN reached out to the venue referenced in Queerbomb's post, Austin Garden, to ask about the event planning process and Queerbomb's claim of censorship.

Kristen Carson with Austin Garden responded, saying in part, "we were so excited to host Queerbomb for the first time and truly loved the experience. We’ve always donated our space because we genuinely believe in and want to support the cause."

She also said the claim that the venue was trying to "censor" the rally was "really disheartening to read."

Carson said the venue actually offered to donate more space to the event than it did last year, as long as the music performances and community resource fair were held in the main garden, and the rally on the Secret Garden Stage, the venue's private stage.

Carson said the reason behind that was safety, and that the venue doesn't ever host rallies on the main stage due to safety concerns. She added that the Secret Garden has a capacity of over 300, a stage with full audio, and "we felt confident they would be able to host it in a similar fashion as last year - and offered to video and broadcast across the campus if more people attended." She also added that there was a threat during last year's Queerbomb that police had to get involved in.

"We had already committed the MainStage to host performances before Queerbomb’s request. I want to be very clear: there was never any intent to censor. We offered the entire venue to Queerbomb, and did our best to balance safety, existing commitments, and wholehearted support for the community. We’re always open to continuing this conversation, and we care deeply about getting it right," Carson said in a message from Austin Garden's Instagram account.

Queerbomb's post also mentioned roadblocks such as Austin Police Department fees and involvement, city council changes, and a "time crunch severely limited organizers' ability to plan a safe event for everyone."

The post noted that organizers voted to shift what the event looks like this year "to ensure there is still space for queer community free from censorship and corporate involvement that welcomes all expressions of gender, sexuality, and pride."

Queerbomb also made a post back in February that the event was at risk of not happening this year due to a lack of volunteer organizers.

This year's event will be held on the south lawn of the Texas State Capitol on Saturday, June 7, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sign-making supplies and refreshments will be available until supplies run out. Donations collected for this year's event will fund the needed supplies, and leftover funds will be saved for future events, according to the post.

KXAN reached out to Queerbomb organizers for more information. We will update this story if we receive a response.