Employees at Antarctica ’s McMurdo Station are gearing up to lionize Pride month in one of the man ’s harshest environs . On Saturday , June 9 , the station will host what Hannah Valian , who deals with the center of attention ’s recycling efforts , calls " one of the larger parties ever thrown " at the station .
McMurdo Station is an Antarcticresearch facilityowned and operated by the United States . The post is more sparsely populated during Antarctica ’s colder autumn and winter time of year ( which run from March to September ) , but employees say us there ’s still a comely - sized LGBTQ scene to lionise this June .
About 10 of the 133 people presently at McMurdo identify as LGBTQ , says Rachel Bowens - Rubin , a station laboratory supporter . Valian say the thought for a Pride solemnisation came up in May at one of the place ’s veritable LGBTQ mixer .
" Everyone got really excited about it , " she order Mental Floss via email . " So we ran with it . "
Despite reports that this is the continent’sfirstPride party , none of the event ’s labor organizer are convinced this is the first Pride celebration Antarctica has see . Sous chef Zach Morgan tells us he ’s been attend LGBTQ social at McMurdo since 2009 .
" The belief is certainly not new here , " he say .
To Evan Townsend , a steward at the station , this weekend ’s Pride case is less a milepost and more a thoughtfulness of the account of queer credence in Antarctica .
" If anything , " Townsend says , " recognition belong to those who come to Antarctica as exposed members of the LGBTQ community during much less welcoming times in the late past . "
This week , though , McMurdo ’s employees only had overconfident thing to say about the post ’s credence of LGBTQ the great unwashed .
" I have always feel like a prise penis of the community here , " Morgan tells us in an email . " Most people I ’ve met here have been open and supportive . I ’ve never felt the need to hide out myself here , and that ’s one of the ground I love work out here . "
Saturday ’s solemnization will boast a terpsichore floor , photo booth , lip sync battle , lively medicine , and a shortsighted skit explaining the history of Pride , Valian aver .
" At the very least , I hope the attention our Pride solemnization has garner has inspired someone to go out and research the earth , even if they might feel unlike or afraid they might not fit in , " Morgan says . " ‘Cause even on the most inhospitable place on Earth , there ’s still multitude who will love and respect you no matter who you are . "
