Community, belonging, celebration, and support.

The word “pride” encompasses all of these meanings for those who attended the Phoenix Pride Parade on Sunday.

Beginning at 3rd St & Thomas to 3rd St & Indian School Road—Sunday’s parade concluded at Steele Indian School Park, the home of the Phoenix Pride Festival. Along the route, the streets were filled with music, bright colors and an overwhelmingly exuberant energy as those who embrace pride in their lives, along with supporters, advocates and volunteers for LGBTQ+ communities across the Valley.

“Teigan” told Northeast Valley News why the annual celebration is not only fun, but necessary.

“I think it’s important that we, one, have the visibility, and, two, all, like, get to have the community together. It’s also important to support each other and, like, all the different aspects that we have in our community.”

Mayor Kate Gallego of Phoenix served as the community grand marshal for the event, contributing to her goal of making Phoenix a welcoming, thriving city

The Grand Canyon Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence also worked as the organization’s grand marshal and continued to bring their “vision” of uniting, elevating, and empowering both LGBTQ+ and Allied communities.

Even in the midst of some challenging political times, the Phoenix Pride Parade offered a party atmosphere where everyone came together in celebration.

More than a hundred sponsors and volunteers handed out candy, toys, and accessories to onlookers while people of every age danced together with balloons and bubbles overhead.

Another parade attendee, “Vi” told Northeast Valley News why Phoenix Pride is so important.

“Phoenix Pride is a place where, to me, a lot of people who have been through a lot of, you know, hard times with pride, get to come together and celebrate being different. I think that’s valuable… My favorite part is seeing all different kinds of people from all different kinds of walks of life come here and dance together and spray glitter on each other and smile and say ‘Happy Pride!’”.

Jason Mcintosh said Phoenix Pride is meaningful to him because it connects both the history and the future of pride.

“It’s a time to show support for each other and the community and to have fun, but really to show that despite what’s going on in the world right now, we’re still here and, as many of the marchers are saying, we’re not going away and we have to stand up for ourselves, so that’s what this is,” Mcintosh said.

One of the sponsors said of Phoenix Pride, “We strongly believe that our lives belong to each of us to fill with love, laughter, self-respect and indeed, indulgence.”