06/01/2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Fluxx Productions Presents Desert Pride Tucson
Built By Community, For Community
TUCSON, AZ — Fluxx Productions is proud to announce Desert Pride Tucson, a new community-centered Pride celebration set to debut in 2027.
Created with intention from the ground up, Desert Pride Tucson will be free, accessible, family-friendly, and rooted in the values that have always defined our work: community, inclusion, visibility, and belonging.
For many years, members of Tucson's LGBTQ+ community have shared a common desire, a Pride celebration that feels accessible, reflects the diversity of our community, and creates opportunities for local performers, artists, organizations, and businesses to shine. Desert Pride Tucson is an opportunity to help bring that vision to life.
Why Fluxx?
Simply put, we are not new to this work.
Fluxx Productions and its leadership team have been producing LGBTQ+ events and community programming for more than two decades. Our roots trace back to 2002 with Boys R Us, Arizona's first and only gender performance troupe. Since then, our team has remained committed to creating spaces where LGBTQ+ people can gather, celebrate, learn, organize, and thrive.
Our experience spans everything from intimate community gatherings to multi-day regional and international events, all built on the belief that community should come first.
Over the years, Fluxx has successfully produced some of the region's most recognized LGBTQ+ events, including the 11th Annual International Drag King Extravaganza, a five-day festival featuring gender performers from around the world; Fluxx Fest, a three-day performance arts festival; and the International Southwest LGBTQ Film Festival. In addition, we have produced conferences, fundraisers, educational programs, dance parties, and cultural events that have brought thousands of people together throughout Southern Arizona.
Today, Fluxx provides year-round programming that supports, educates, and connects our community. From support groups, educational workshops, to arts programming, mutual aid efforts, School of Drag, and the Name Change and Gender Marker Clinic, to name a few, our work extends far beyond a single event. In contrast to many event producers, 100% of proceeds generated through Fluxx events, including Desert Pride Tucson, are reinvested directly into community programming, helping ensure these services remain available to those who need them most.
More importantly, we have built trust.
We understand what it takes to create events that are welcoming, accessible, financially responsible, and reflective of the people they serve. We know what it takes to produce large-scale community events, and who they are meant to serve.
A Different Kind of Pride
Desert Pride Tucson is thoughtfully designed to center
community over celebrity.
This event will prioritize:
>Local performers, artists, and entertainers
>Local businesses, nonprofits, and community organizations
>Free admission so financial barriers do not prevent participation
>Accessibility considerations from the beginning of the planning process
>Intergenerational opportunities for connection and celebration
>Representation across the full LGBTQ+ spectrum
While large national headliners may draw crowds, our focus is on elevating the incredible talent, creativity, and resilience that already exists within our own community.
This is not about bringing the community in around a headliner. This is about building Pride around the community.
Designed With Tucson in Mind
The Desert Pride Tucson logo reflects both our community and our home. Featuring the Tucson skyline, the Sonoran Desert landscape, and colors that represent the diversity of the LGBTQ+ community, the logo serves as a visual reminder that this Pride belongs to Tucson. It was important to us that the branding reflects not only where we live, but who we are.
Built Through Collaboration
Over the past several months, Fluxx has intentionally slowed the planning process to engage community members, partners, and stakeholders in meaningful conversations about what Desert Pride Tucson should become.
Community collaboration is not an afterthought; it is part of the foundation. We have spent years building relationships throughout Southern Arizona and beyond, and those relationships continue to guide the development of Fluxx and now Desert Pride Tucson. As planning progresses, community members will be able to learn more, get involved, and stay informed through our website, social media, and other channels.
Relationships matter. This is how you build something that lasts.
Looking Ahead
While 2027 may seem far away, the timeline is intentional. Our goal is not simply to launch an event. Our goal is to build something sustainable, accessible, community-driven, and capable of growing for years to come.
Sponsorship opportunities, vendor applications, volunteer opportunities, and performer submissions will be announced in the coming months.
We also want to be clear: we support anyone in creating space for the community. There is room for multiple celebrations and community events. A thriving community benefits from diverse voices, ideas, and opportunities to connect.
A Statement from Executive Director Dante Celeiro:
At the end of the day, Desert Pride Tucson is not about Fluxx. It's not about one person, one group, or who gets the credit. It's about our community and the future.
We are living in a time when LGBTQ+ people, especially Q***r, Trans, People of Color, and our most marginalized community members, continue to face attacks simply for existing. In moments like these, we need each other.
That means learning to listen to one another. It means working together even when we don't always agree. It means setting aside ego, competition, money, and legacy in favor of something bigger than ourselves.
No single organization can do this work alone. No single person has all the answers. But when we come together with a shared commitment to our community, incredible things become possible.
My hope is that Desert Pride Tucson becomes more than a celebration. We hope it becomes a reflection of what our community can be at its best: welcoming, accessible, collaborative, and rooted in care for one another.
As the producing organization, Fluxx is committed to listening, collaborating, and creating opportunities for community involvement while remaining grounded in our mission and values. We take that responsibility seriously and are committed to building something that serves our community not just today, but for years to come.
Q***rly Yours,
Dante Celeiro
Executive Director & Co-Founder Fluxx Productions
About Fluxx Productions
Fluxx Productions is a Tucson-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that empowers LGBTQ+ communities, with a special focus on Q***r, Trans, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (QTBIPOC), through arts, activism, and mutual aid.
For more than twenty years, Fluxx has created safe, inclusive, empowering spaces that celebrate diversity, amplify marginalized voices, and strengthen community resilience. Through events, educational programs, advocacy initiatives, and mutual aid efforts, Fluxx continues to build opportunities for connection, visibility, and collective liberation.
Media Contact
Tess English [email protected]
General Information [email protected]
Website www.desertpridetucson.org
Newsletter Signup www.fluxxproductions.org
