Attendees take pride in countering GJÂ's bad rep

By CASSIE HEWLINGS
The Daily Sentinel

Saturday, June 14, 2008

http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/content/news/stories/2008/06/14/061508_1b_Gay_pride.html

Jerry Shelton wears a pair of pig-shaped sunglasses with wings because he always thought he'd move to Fruita when pigs flew.

"I expected Fruita to be much more close-minded," Shelton said. "But as a community, this whole area is very tolerant."

Shelton has been involved with Western Equality of Grand Junction's gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender resource center since moving to the Grand Valley three years ago and is now the group's treasurer. Together with the Western Slope Bears and ManREACH, two gay groups, Western Equality held its annual Pridefest West celebration Saturday in Hawthorne Park to mark the anniversary of the beginning of the gay rights movement in 1969.

Not only is this area among the most beautiful in the West, with Colorado Nat. Monument and the Black Canyon - but I've found that the Western notion of 'its your misfortune and none of my own' is a pretty good way to live and let live.