Photo credit: Lee Stiffler-Meyer – Let The Light In Studio
Article by Lee Stiffler-Meyer – Let The Light In Studio
Annelise “Ship” Shipley
[she/her]
The 4th annual Edgewater Pride Parade is happening June 3, 2023, and this year’s Grand Marsal is Annelise “Ship” Shipley. Ship identifies as a cis-gendered female lesbian (she/her) and is passionate about creating inclusive and accessible spaces.
Where are you from, and how did you arrive in Edgewater?
I’m originally from San Antonio, TX, but I moved out to Denver in 2014 for school. I stayed around after and moved to Edgewater at the beginning of 2020 by a happy accident.
What do you like about living in Edgewater?
You get a small-town feel in a big city here. I know many of my neighbors, and we all have each other’s backs. We say hi and check-in, swap garden veggies, baked goods, art, or plants. You know familiar faces at the local digs, and you get to be part of a kind and loving community. Not to mention… it is such a cute city with gorgeous views of downtown Denver and the mountains!
What kind of work do you do for a living?
Work is a tricky word when you get to do what I do. My title says I’m a respiratory and mobility caregiver, but that description is underrated. I get to use my human performance background – through sport, psychology, nutrition, and biomechanics – to find unique solutions to the unique challenges with disabilities. It’s a win-win, too, since it helps to make life easier and more accessible for one of my best friends who happens to use a wheelchair and trach/ventilator.
Tell us why you’re excited about being the Grand Marshal for the Edgewater Pride Parade?
This really is a tremendous honor and a role that I plan to have a lot of fun in. I want to show others that your biggest superpower is the power to be you. Have fun, be silly, and always, always, always stay kind.
You helped create the annual parade. Tell us about your role in creating and continuing the tradition?
When I say this parade started as a grassroots effort, I mean that quite literally. From an idea that sprouted as a neighborly conversation in the yard to our first official year as a nonprofit, the parade continues to be an outpouring of love. With the new nonprofit status, too, we plan to expand our community efforts throughout the year and root deeper into the community and culture of Edgewater. I’m excited for what’s to come!
What do you like to do in your free time?
Whether paddling, climbing, reading, or writing, you can usually catch me playing outside.
I am also part of an amazing team of people putting together the third annual Shine Music Festival here in Denver. Music is magic, and Shine aims to break down the barriers that make music festivals inaccessible for people with disabilities. The goal is to create a safe space where ALL people can collectively enjoy listening to the magic of music and to each other.
Be sure and share anything you’d like the world to know about you or your passions?
I am part of a much bigger LGBTQIA+ community that is constantly under attack. Sometimes in the legislature and sometimes by the people living next door.
According to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), 474 anti-LGBTQ bills have been introduced in the US legislature in 2023 alone. Of which, 100 specifically anti-trans bills have been introduced since 2020. These bills are harmful to the narrative surrounding the LGBTQIA+ community, but worse, they are immediately dangerous. They threaten access to healthcare, self-expression and identification, education, and public safety, removing the humanity of those identifying as LGBTQIA+.
I think it’s important to remember when we see the stats that we aren’t just talking about numbers, but the people behind the numbers; humans that just want to be human.
Protect your people and keep showing up with kindness. If you have a voice, use it to spread the love, not the hate. And keep creating inclusive and accessible spaces.
ACLU website: https://www.aclu.org/legislative-attacks-on-lgbtq-rights
Upcoming Edgewater Pride Events
Join us for the Edgewater Pride Kickoff Party and official passing of the torch from 2022 Grand Marshal, Travis Stealy, to Ship on Saturday May 20th from 6-9 at The Wardian 6400 W 20th Ave. Lakewood, CO. Tickets are on sale for this 21+ event now here.
The 4th Annual Edgewater Pride Parade will take place on Saturday June 3rd starting at 10:30 am from Edgewater Elementary School parking lot and will end at the Edgewater Public Market with an after party that will include live music and a Family Zone with activities for everyone to enjoy. If you would like to register to ride in the parade, please sign up here.
Joel has been a resident of Edgewater, Colorado with his family since 2012. He is the Executive Director of local education nonprofit Edgewater Collective and Editor of the Edgewater Echo.
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