EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — Hundreds of El Pasoans gathered Saturday morning, June 21, in Downtown to celebrate and participate in the 19th annual El Paso Sun City Pride Parade.
The parade kicked off at 10 a.m. at the intersection of Ochoa Street and Mills Avenue. The route of the parade ended at Houston Park, where everyone was welcomed to a post-parade, community-wide picnic.
The parade floats and participants were showered in rainbow colors, waved LGBTQ+ flags and held messages of acceptance and love.
Ben Fyffe, a grand marshal of this year’s parade, said that as times have changed, so has the acceptance and support of the LGBTQ+ community in his hometown.
“I came out in the mid-90s as an El Pasoan, when things were very different. It’s just incredible today to be in the parade as a grand marshal, officially sanctioned by the City that supports me and just knowing I get to be part of a community that really does support everything I do and I get to support this community back,” Fyffe said.
“During these times, when members of our community are being targeted, it’s important to come out and show our resilience and show exactly what the LGBT community means to so many of us. Our families coming out, lining up and watching the parade, it sends that message that this community is here to stay and that this community is important for the City of El Paso,” Fyffe said.
Heather Frausto, Fyffe’s sister, said she had never been to a pride event, but her and her family showed up to celebrate her brother and others in the LGBTQ+ community.
“We are so proud of everyone and their ability to be themselves and be recognized and not have to worry about condemnation about any kind of repercussions for just living as they are. We’re really proud because my brother is one of the grand marshals and it’s amazing to have him recognized, just for everything that he’s come through and come over and this is an amazing day for all of us,” Frausto said.
U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, participated in the parade, saying that this year’s pride celebration is more than just a parade, but a protest to the Trump Administration.
“This year, the LGBTQ community is under severe attacks by the Trump Administration and we have to remember that some of the most vulnerable members of our population are our trans people and they are the ones most under attack right now. So our presence here today is to demonstrate and stand together,” Escobar said.
Amber Perez, the executive director of the Borderland Rainbow Center, said every year during pride, it’s a reminder of freedom and community.
“What pride means is freedom. It means the chance to be yourself. It means community. It means that we are here and we are here to be seen,” Perez said.
Perez also said that despite the hate and negativity, there is a community that understands the importance of showing up.
“Even though there are all of these undercurrents in some places and a lot of it is overt feelings of distrust and of hate, that, beyond all of that, people understand that there is community and they understand the importance of being out and being proud,” Perez said.
Christopher Medlin and Jacob Ortega, two more grand marshals in the parade, said one of the biggest takeaways in this year’s pride event is to celebrate how far the LGBTQ+ community has come, regardless of setbacks.
“Especially in the times that we’re living in right now, it’s really important that we at least be visible and celebrate all the accomplishments that we’ve made and how much progress we’ve made despite a lot of setbacks,” Medlin said.
“This year has been a challenging time, and I think today is a very special day for us to unify and show our visibility for our community that, at the end of the day, love will always win,” Ortega said.
Read: Read More