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Photo courtesy ProjectQAtlanta.com
JAMES PARKER SHEFFIELD
If you want to see someone completely engaged in a topic, ask James Parker Sheffield about the Atlanta Pride Festival. The executive director of the Atlanta Pride Committee and producer of the festival is beyond dedicated to making sure each Pride weekend tops the previous year’s. And he has a goal in mind for the future: for Atlanta Pride to become an annual destination for everyone across the country.
How would you define your role in Atlanta’s LGBT community?
Executive Director of The Atlanta Pride Committee, producer of the annual Atlanta Pride Festival
What do you forecast for Atlanta’s LGBT community in the next 5 to 10 years?
A more developed focus on youth and school issues, as well as a more developed focus on aging issues. I also think we’ll see the Rush Center become the official LGBT Community Center.
We learn from all our experiences, both good and bad. Tell us about a negative life experience you’ve had that you learned a valuable lesson from.
In 2006, a huge windstorm whipped through the festival grounds, taking out the main stage and several market place tents. While no one was injured, the damage seemed insurmountable. I remember standing in the meadow thinking, “This is done. The festival is over.” Then I saw our entire board, staff and committee work together to triage the damage and develop a game plan to reopen the festival in the following morning. Since that time, I have been convinced that the dedication of the members of the organization is far stronger than any given obstacle. When you head into a problem with the attitude that you’ll figure it out one way or another, failure never feels like a viable option.
How has being LGBT shaped your outlook on life?
That’s a tough one, because it’s hard to imagine life NOT queer. I’m not sure how I would determine what things haven’t been shaped by growing up trans and being part of Queer Community. I definitely think there is a resilience that we develop through our encounters with discrimination, verbal/physical abuse, and oppression. Living life inside the margins has a profound impact on how we perceive everything from family & community to workplace politics & the role of government.
Tell us a little more about yourself. What are your hobbies? What are your goals?
I’m a bit obsessed with my work and it’s hard to hit the off switch. I’m an avid UGA & Pittsburgh Steelers football fan. I enjoy traveling and have a special love for NYC (it’s probably the baked goods and the shopping). I would like to see our festival continue on a path of inclusivity and to be representative of all demographics within our Queer Community. I would also like to see Atlanta Pride become an annual destination for people all over the country.
If you were stranded on a desert island, what’s the one book you would want with you?
A nonfiction book on how to survive on and/or be rescued from a desert island.
