People of all ages attended Downtown East Lansing's annual Pride celebration, featuring an open-floor drag show, live music, drag storytime, local vendors, art activities and games. 

Auroara Manifesto, a drag artist, read from their book “Be Who You Are.” The story encouraged the audience to be exactly who they are, and a special star. The only person stopping you is you.

Throughout the event, Home Grown Homunculus, a post-punk band, played music, including a cover of The Cardigans’ “Lovefool.”

Bobby Hoffman, former PR manager at Wharton Center, was the keynote speaker for the event. This year was his first time speaking at East Lansing Pride; however, he has been attending the events since the early 90s.

When he was asked to be this year’s speaker, he initially thought, "No."

Hoffman has been openly gay since he was 21, but he said he’s “just not a person that goes around and talks about it.” He then thought about how he didn’t know any positive, successful gay role models when he was young.

Growing up in Webberville, Hoffman said he was shy, awkward, nerdy and carrying a secret that terrified him, especially if someone found out. He was fortunate enough to have mentors in the community who embraced who he was. 

Hoffman cited a poem he loves by Paul Laurence Dunbar called “We Wear the Mask” that said, “We wear the mask that grins and lies, it hides our cheeks and shades our eyes, this debt we pay to human guile, with torn and bleeding hearts we smile.” 

“I took off the mask because I don’t wanna wear a mask,” Hoffman said. “If I can be that for somebody, then I wanna do this. I wanna speak up. I want to show that you can be a successful member of society and be you, authentically you.”