Photos: Kansas Citians celebrate at Saturday’s Pride on the Vine
By Cortlynn Stark
Auriana Dyer, 15, grinned as she posed for her aunt to snap the shot of her sitting next to her sister, cousin and her mother Ashleigh Hairston making a peace sign in Kansas City’s 18th and Vine District during Saturday’s 2021 Pride on The Vine celebration.
It was her first Pride celebration.
“It’s nice having the people that I love support me and who I am,” Auriana said.
Her knee high rainbow socks with hearts at the top matched the suspenders clipped to her shorts. Her aunt, 34-year-old Tiffany Hairston, wore matching socks. Auriana’s 13-year-old sister Skye Dyer also wore rainbow tube socks. Her cousin, Saniya Hairson, wore socks with rainbow stripes at the top.
Tiffany Hairston of Kansas City, Kansas, from lett, takes a photo of members of her family including niece Skye Dyer; sister Ashleigh Hairston; niece Auriana Dyer and daughter Saniya Hariston at the first Pride on the Vine 2021 at the 18th and Vine Jazz District Saturday, June 26, 2021. They wore rainbow socks and came to the event to support Auriana, center, who came out as pansexual in the seventh grade. It’s Auriana’s first pride event. Jill Toyoshiba jtoyoshiba@kcstar.com
Auriana was nervous when she came out to her family as pansexual in the seventh grade in 2019.
They wanted to go to a Pride event last year, but the COVID-19 pandemic delayed them.
“We all wanted to be here to support her and let her know that we love her for who she is,” Ashleigh Hairston said.
Down the street, as people danced to V.I.C.’s “Wobble,” others paused to look at what a few local vendors were offering.
Tiffany Hairston said this was her third time going to Pride. Having the space and the community to just be able to “be yourself and not have anybody looking at you sideways,” matters, she said.
“Have fun. Love who you love.”
Here are more photos of the event:
Jackson, a 10-year-old toy poodle, shows his pride at the first Pride on the Vine 2021 at the 18th and Vine Jazz District Saturday, June 26, 2021. Jackson gets some attention from his human, Lanesha Huggins of Kansas City, Kansas. Jill Toyoshiba jtoyoshiba@kcstar.com
Lanesha Huggins of Kansas City, Kansas, center, records the moment while dancing with Jackson, a toy poodle, during the first Pride on the Vine 2021 at the 18th and Vine Jazz District Saturday, June 26, 2021. Dancing alongside of Huggins are wife Tiffany Huggins, left, and Aaron Alexander of Kansas City. Jill Toyoshiba jtoyoshiba@kcstar.com
Sharlie Nelson, owner of VIP Luxary Chic talks with 13-year-old Skye Dyer of Kansas City, Kansas, who was interested in a jewelry item at Nelson’s booth during the first Pride on the Vine 2021 at the 18th and Vine Jazz District Saturday, June 26, 2021. Nelson said she identifies as an ally of the LGBTQ community. Jill Toyoshiba jtoyoshiba@kcstar.com
Members of the Hairston and Dyer families of Kansas City, Kansas, including Skye Dyer, from left; her aunt Tiffany Hairston; Skye’s sister Auriana Dyer; and Tiffany’s daughter Saniya Hairston browse jewelry at the first Pride on the Vine 2021 at the 18th and Vine Jazz District Saturday, June 26, 2021. They wore rainbow socks and came to the event to support Auriana, center, who came out as pansexual in the seventh grade. It’s Auriana’s first pride event. Jill Toyoshiba jtoyoshiba@kcstar.com
The Star’s Jill Toyoshiba contributed to this story.
