Charlotte Pride, a local non-profit organization which creates programs and activities to enrich, empower, strengthen and make visible the unique lives and experiences of LGBTQ people in Charlotte and the Carolinas, will hold its annual Charlotte Pride Interfaith Service on Sunday, August 20, 4 p.m., at Temple Beth El in Shalom Park, 5101 Providence Rd., Charlotte, N.C.

In 2016, clergy from over 25 different faith traditions and nearly 200 people convened to help kick off the week of community events culminating with Charlotte Pride Festival and Parade. Organizers expect a similar turnout for this year's iconic faith event.

For the first time since it began in 2011, the Interfaith Service will be hosted by a non-Christian faith congregation. Organizers of the event say the move is in recognition of the increasingly diverse, intersectional LGBTQ community.

Past hosts have included First United Methodist Church and Caldwell Memorial Presbyterian Church.

Members of the media will be welcome to interview clergy prior to the Interfaith Service, as well as City Councilmember LaWana Mayfield, who will be a guest speaker during the service.

Media may conduct interviews prior to the event beginning at 3:30 p.m. By request of Temple Beth El, members of the media will not be allowed be allowed to record or photograph the service. However, members of media may attend to observe and take notes for later reporting. Interviews may also be conducted after the service.

For more information on Charlotte Pride and its programs and activities, visit charlottepride.org.

For more details on this year's events, including logistical information for media coverage, upcoming press events and other general event information, please see the Charlotte Pride Media Center at charlottepride.org/media/.

ABOUT CHARLOTTE PRIDE: 

Charlotte Pride is the leader in LGBTQ visibility in Charlotte and the Carolinas. We present and collaborate on programs, projects, and activities, including the annual Charlotte Pride Festival and Parade, Trans Pride, Latin Pride, and Reel Out Charlotte, formerly known as the GayCharlotte Film Festival, among others. Since its founding in 2000, Charlotte Pride has expanded its year-round programming and partnerships to better connect community members with its mission, vision, and values. It is now one of the largest LGBTQ Pride organizations in the American Southeast.