Erika and Layla Quinones are an married couple who started an annual Pride celebration in their small town of Pulaski, TN. What began as a plan to welcome about 40 people to a potluck with a few vendors turned out to be an event that drew over 1300 visitors to the community. Pulaski has the dubious distinction of being the community where the KKK, a far-right terrorist organization, was formed in 1865. Erika and Layla, an inter-racial couple, quickly found themselves in the spotlight, garnering praise and support, but also hatred from the community. Tune in and listen to their story, as host Anne-Marie Zanzal asks about their coming out experiences, what it's like being a queer, racialized couple in small-town Tennessee, and their successes and challenges in starting Pulaski Pride.To volunteer or donate and support Pulaski Pride, visit pulaskipride.onlineA song that is special to Erika and Layla is She Keeps Me Warm by Mary Lambert. Listen on YouTube: https://youtu.be/NhqH-r7Xj0E?si=HKhMftGvDwXG5HOpA movie that was impactful to Layla in her youth was Bound, starring Jennifer Tilly and Gina Gershon. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0115736/This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy