Vision Statement
The South County Pride Foundation envisions a community where LGBTQ+ people and families are empowered to achieve their fullest potential, where people of all identities and experiences are valued and feel a sense of belonging, and where allies support communities outside their own.
Mission Statement
The South County Pride Foundation works toward a future without discrimination. We do this by producing LGBTQ+ Pride events that inspire, educate, commemorate and celebrate our diverse community. We support community leaders and organizations that work to eliminate long-standing barriers to equal access, and provide opportunities and resources for LGBTQ+ people.
Our Story
South County Pride began amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. The majority of statewide Pride events had been canceled. Magnolia Longworth, a junior at South Kingstown high school, wanted to create a way to continue celebrating pride during the pandemic lockdown.
In 2021 Magnolia and Evan Travis found one another through similar passions for LGBT activism. Recognizing the need for more local celebrations of Queer joy and history Magnolia and Evan began organizing a larger pride event than the previous year. In a few short months of working with each other and other local organizations, they were able to host a successful pride event, with the help of their mentor Sarah LeClair, and create a network of supporters who became the South County Pride Foundation.
SC Pride was founded with the values of local intergenerational queer advocacy. When planning the first pride event in 2021, co-founders Magnolia and Evan discussed their vision for a local LGBT+ event that was fun and engaging but had more of a focus on community. They wanted a pride that had familiar faces and businesses to highlight the support that is found in South County. They wanted to show that there is a queer community and history in southern Rhode Island. After the success of this first event, the South County Pride Foundation was created- hoping to continue this work. South County pride sees that this event was originally created by youth and intends to continue our mission of youth-led activism by continuing to support local queer high school students. There are so many queer youths with important things to say that are just not heard. We want to uplift their voices.
In 2021 Magnolia and Evan Travis found one another through similar passions for LGBT activism. Recognizing the need for more local celebrations of Queer joy and history Magnolia and Evan began organizing a larger pride event than the previous year. In a few short months of working with each other and other local organizations, they were able to host a successful pride event, with the help of their mentor Sarah LeClair, and create a network of supporters who became the South County Pride Foundation.
SC Pride was founded with the values of local intergenerational queer advocacy. When planning the first pride event in 2021, co-founders Magnolia and Evan discussed their vision for a local LGBT+ event that was fun and engaging but had more of a focus on community. They wanted a pride that had familiar faces and businesses to highlight the support that is found in South County. They wanted to show that there is a queer community and history in southern Rhode Island. After the success of this first event, the South County Pride Foundation was created- hoping to continue this work. South County pride sees that this event was originally created by youth and intends to continue our mission of youth-led activism by continuing to support local queer high school students. There are so many queer youths with important things to say that are just not heard. We want to uplift their voices.
Top row (left to right): Magnolia Longworth, Sarah LeClair, Amanda Downing Carney;
Bottom row: Amelia Ortega, Jess Spalding, Patti Alley, Annie Russell, JoĊĦquin Malone.
Our Board:
Annie Russell (Co-President)
Annie Russell was born in Indiana and has spent most of her life in the Midwest. In her early career, Annie did the Midwest tour, earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication (emphasis on Argumentation and Advocacy) from Adrian College in 2003. Following that, Annie earned her M.Ed. from Ohio University and worked there for a number of years in Residence Life. Annie’s strong passion and focus in higher education has been on social justice issues and inclusion. She obtained her Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from Bowling Green State University in 2012, with an emphasis on teaching social justice issues. Annie has spent the last twenty years of her career working in diversity and inclusion in higher education, as a Coordinator and now Director of two different Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer Centers. She has also been an adjunct faculty member in Communication and Gender and Women’s Studies. Annie’s research interests include intersectionality, multiple and intersecting identity formation and development, the application of theory to practice in higher education, and the impact of feminism as an approach to educational perspectives. Annie currently serves as the Director of the Gender and Sexuality Center and plans to continue to work and teach in higher education, thereby achieving social justice through education.
Amanda Downing Carney (Co-President)
Amanda is a lifelong South County resident and has had a career as a costumer & theatre artist for over 20 years. Though always having a great love for her lgbtq+ theatre community, she really started earning her ally stripes by advocating for queer youth once she became a mother in a rainbow family. She and her husband and sons have been participating in So Co Pride on their bikes since the first car parade in 2020. She started volunteering for the foundation’s Pride events in 2021-22, earning a board seat in 2023. She is inspired by her queer family and friends and the radical idea of self-love and self-acceptance. She strives for a future where her children and all humans can live their authentic life with joy and kindness celebrating the beauty in our differences.
Sarah LeClair (Treasurer)
Sarah was born and raised in South Kingstown, RI, and recently graduated with a Master's of Science in Environmental and Natural Resource Economics from the University of Rhode Island, Summa Cum Laude. In the last few years Sarah has worked with various nonprofit organizations on community organizing, mutual aid, and youth mentorship/education, and is currently working as an environmental consultant in Burlington, VT. Sarah is passionate about environmental justice and human rights advocacy, and spends their free time rock climbing, surfing, and doing yoga.
Jošquin Malone (Secretary)
Jošquin “JQ” Malone is a long-time RI resident with dual Bachelor’s degrees in Anthropology and Botany from URI. Primarily an agricultural worker, JQ is passionate about serving healthy, organic, and sustainably produced food to Rhode Islanders. A longtime yoga practitioner, they have been sharing an inclusive and gentle practice to students of all ages and abilities for the past 2 ½ years. Jošquin has been a dedicated activist and organizer for nearly a decade, collaborating with several organizations on climate disaster relief, 2SLGBTQ+ rights, and engaging in nonviolent resistance. JQ was fortunate to stumble into a loving and safe community to explore their Queerness, and now they work to extend that compassion and grace to other Queer people through the SC Pride Foundation.
Amelia Ortega
Amelia grew up in Wakefield and founded the first Gay-Straight Alliance at South Kingstown High School in 1996. They moved back to South Kingstown after 22 years, and were very excited to support the creation of the South County Pride Foundation. They never imagined that a Pride festival in town would be possible, and are thrilled to support the youth-led, intergenerational work of the South County Pride Foundation
Jess Spalding
Jess is a Rhode Island native, raised in Maine who developed a love for South County during their time at URI. A recent graduate, Jess obtained a bachelors in both Psychology and Gender and Women’s Studies with a Queer Studies minor. In their time at school, they worked at the Gender and Sexuality Center, which gave them a new outlook and love of connecting people with their community at large. South County Pride has given them an opportunity to continue on with this passion. To Jess, pride is a celebration of life, a continued fight for liberation, and recognition of the inherent strength for people to be who they are. She’s proud to support this community and hopes to strike some love in all the hearts of everyone who she comes across.
Patti Alley
When I was a young teenager, a friend’s older brother blew all of our minds, when he moved on from his position as the President of the CYO and became the President of the Gay Task Force at URI. This was the 80’s; it was a big deal in our very traditional world, it was really brave and made a real impact on me and my peer group. That was F Joseph Perry, and in the years that followed, he became my best friend and our chosen family; he was Guncle Joe to our daughter Morgan and an array of SKHS theater kids.
Joe was diagnosed with Stage Four Lung Cancer just as the pandemic was declared in March of 2020. Joe fought hard, but by the time Pride 2023 approached, he was tired and time was growing short. I wanted him to know that he had made a difference and would leave a legacy. I reached out to Dr Annie Russell at URI and she coordinated the first Queer Elder Award. It was so wonderful to have that celebration with him and that is how I became involved with SC Pride.
I remember what it was like back in the 80’s and how much discrimination existed, not only for gay people, but for their friends as well. As a lifelong ally and Mama Bear type, I have a keen interest in making sure the most vulnerable among us are protected. I think it is really important to understand history so we do not repeat it.
I was born and raised in RI and graduated from URI. Much of my career has been in the wedding and special event industry. I am currently a member of the South Kingstown Town Council. For the last four years, since losing my sister to gun suicide, I have been an advocate for safe firearm storage. I am proud to say this was just signed into law by Governor McKee last week.
Joe was diagnosed with Stage Four Lung Cancer just as the pandemic was declared in March of 2020. Joe fought hard, but by the time Pride 2023 approached, he was tired and time was growing short. I wanted him to know that he had made a difference and would leave a legacy. I reached out to Dr Annie Russell at URI and she coordinated the first Queer Elder Award. It was so wonderful to have that celebration with him and that is how I became involved with SC Pride.
I remember what it was like back in the 80’s and how much discrimination existed, not only for gay people, but for their friends as well. As a lifelong ally and Mama Bear type, I have a keen interest in making sure the most vulnerable among us are protected. I think it is really important to understand history so we do not repeat it.
I was born and raised in RI and graduated from URI. Much of my career has been in the wedding and special event industry. I am currently a member of the South Kingstown Town Council. For the last four years, since losing my sister to gun suicide, I have been an advocate for safe firearm storage. I am proud to say this was just signed into law by Governor McKee last week.
Evan TravisEvan is a high school student at the Met school. He was inspired to organize Pride by Magnolia’s original Pride Car Parade in 2020. When he started organizing the event he found Magnolia, and they were able to work together to host South County’s first ever Pride event. He’s so proud of what they were able to accomplish last year, and can not wait to see what we can do with more time and support.
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Magnolia LongworthMagnolia is the co-founder of South County Pride. They just graduated high school, and hope to continue community organization and outreach as a career. She originally organized the Pride Car Parade in 2020, and had no idea that it would turn into this! Though this foundation is their senior project, she is hoping to continue it further after high school.
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Pride wouldn't be possible without our dedicated and caring board members, as well as the greater South County community. We are grateful for all of the love and support we've received over the years from everyone!
Sponsoring Organizations:
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