Thousands gather in downtown Raleigh for 11th year of Out! Raleigh Pride
Thousands of people gathered in downtown Raleigh for the 11th year of Out! Raleigh Pride Saturday afternoon.
Through music, rainbow flags and food, many participants supported the LGBTQ community.
Jordan Madre, who attended the event, said she wanted to come to Out! Raleigh Pride for more than just the music and vendors; she also wanted to come for her daughter.
"Especially with her growing up, we want to make sure she goes into kindergarten knowing everybody's loved," Madre said. "Everybody's feelings matter, and everybody needs the same rights."
Spread across half a mile of downtown Raleigh, Saturday's festival featured dozens of local shops, food trucks, games and live music.
Several bands performed on both ends of Fayetteville Street, including the Triangle Gay Men's Chorus.
However, there's tension near the Out! Raleigh Pride event as the legislature considers several bills targeting the LGBTQ community.
These bills would ban gender-affirming surgery for minors and ban state funds being used for gender-affirming care, among other things.
On Thursday the legislature passed a bill banning transgender women from playing women's sports from middle school through college in the state.
Many of those at the event disagreed with these decisions.
"I don't want to see anybody's rights under attack," said Thomas Madre.
Other event goers like Jade Watkins agreed with Madre.
"{It's] definitely important to know that people are loved and supported," Watkins said.
Security was heightened at the event because there was a national warning this month about protections for LGBTQ Americans.
Rick Hodge and his partner, Mike Carney, attended the event.
"I think it shows how the community here is and what we support -- and the gap of the legislature of knowing their constituents," Hodge said.
He said the best part of Out! Raleigh Pride is the support from crowds and corporations -- and the sea of rainbows that only seems to get bigger, year after year.
"That's amazing," Hodge said. "It's a very big difference from not too many years ago."
