The Beaverton Pride Parade and Festival were phenomenal! It was my first year going, and we met up with a few of our neighbors to enjoy the festivities. Here are some photos of the parade, as I got too wrapped up in shopping at all the vendor tents and watching the performances and put my camera away so I could cover myself with temporary tattoos and flags. Thank you to everyone who helped plan, coordinate, and put on a fantastic Pride event, and may there be so many more to come!
In all seriousness, a lot of folks think Pride is a time of the year where people go to festivals, parades, and clubs to celebrate (we do... BUT). Please remember that Pride is a response to police brutality in a gay nightclub. Pride started as a RIOT. Pride was a movement started in 1970 to advocate for LGBTQIA+ rights, inclusion, and equality. We're still fighting for those things.
Do not forget, as the rainbows and glitter rain down on you, that our community is suffering. There is a war against trans rights and trans bodies. There is a war against queer vocabulary and culture. Lawmakers are weaponizing public policy to attack the LGBTQIA+ community. Year to date, there have been 540 anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced into state legislatures (all-time record). Of those 540, 220 bills specifically target transgender and non-binary people (also an all-time record).
45 of those bills have already been enacted.
