Sunday, Sept. 18, was the day that Dallas celebrated their LGBTQ+ pride with a parade and a festival for the 33^rd year in a row, with a theme of “Solidarity Through Pride”. Many companies sponsored the parade; some of which are Red bull, Uber, T-Mobile, and Chase. And there were about 97 entries in the parade, such as Grace United Methodist Church, Chipotle, Veterans for Diversity, Supercuts, and even Dodge US Car Club! There were many amazing groups and floats in the parade, some of the awards given out include:

Best performance went to Oak Lawn Band

Best walking group went to Turtle Creek Chorale,

Best social commentary went to Dallas Victims of Crime

Best overall entry went to Kaliente

Best for profit went to Bank of America

Best non-profit went to United Court of the Lone Star Empire

The environment of the parade itself was just amazing. Everyone was so happy to have an opportunity to truly be themselves without the threat of judgment or worse. Everyone was brought together for a simple purpose, to celebrate who they are. I’ve never been in such a loving, accepting, and judge-less environment and it was just amazing, not to mention breathtaking. 45,000 people lined the streets, all cheering, yelling, and showing their support for the celebration of pride that lasted from 2:00pm-5:00pm.

One story that really touched me was of an 8-year-old transgender girl, Marilyn, and her family, who are fighting to educate people on what it is like to grow up transgender. One quote from her that was truly impactful was, “They’ll build a shield around me.” The “they” she is talking about includes her friends, family, and all the supporters she gained at the event. Although she also said that she’s facing troubles at school with a bully, she doesn’t let it phase her. In fact, she’s using it as an excuse to teach others, she said, “I feel like if I go back [to school] and give them more love and support that I can change their heart. I can make them accept me.”

Marilyn is just one of the thousands of people who are using their sexuality or gender to help change the world. By spreading her story, and the stories of others, I truly believe we can start to change the world, one pride parade, and one story at a time.