September brings a lot of wonderful things to Reno.
For starters, the Great Reno Balloon Race, Sept. 5-7 this year, is always a marvel. Meanwhile, Burning Man ends on Sept. 1. While those of you who justifiably want the Burner traffic in your grocery-store aisles to subside will take delight in the “end” part of that statement, as of this writing, I’m fixing to pack up and go enjoy all of the dusty merriment for a few days.
But I understand why you’re annoyed, grocery shoppers. The sudden increase in playa travelers competing for parking as you’re trying to go about your daily business is no joke. On the matter of whether to enjoy or decry Burning Man, I say, to each their own.
There’s another matter on my mind, however, for which it is impossible to say “to each their own.” LGBTQ+ rights are getting utterly trampled by the Trump administration. This bothers me for multiple reasons, and the biggest one is this: A snarky or derisive comment about a gay or transgender person is not just a snarky comment. It’s the tip of a rapidly expanding iceberg; at the base of that iceberg is hatred and actual violence, which is increasing. And people are dying as a result—innocent people, including kids, who are not hurting anyone by being gay or queer or transgender.
So, what can you do about it? I posed that question to a few locals and ended up with some good advice for allies.
There’s another thing I like about September, and I bet you’ve already guessed what it is—our Best of Northern Nevada issue! To me, there are few things more heartening than spreading around some well-deserved recognition to all the hardworking people in our region who help make this a great place to live.
Enjoy our accolades, profiles and highlights here at RenoNR.com, or check out this month’s 60-page print edition!