On Saturday, June 8, Albuquerque held the 2024 LGBTQ+ Pride parade. The event celebrated diversity of sexuality and identity through a caravan of parade floats with signs displaying messages of love and acceptance.
The event also included music and dancers.
Many attendees waved Pride flags and dressed in rainbow, while some – including several people on top of floats – dressed in drag.
The parade began at the intersection of Central Avenue and Girard Boulevard and progressed east to the intersection of Central Avenue and San Mateo Boulevard. The parade was organized by the non-profit organization Albuquerque Pride.
Cora Reyes, a Pride attendee, brought both her little brother and someone who had never attended a Pride parade before. Reyes enjoyed the parade and her brother had fun playing with bubbles, she said.
“I think it's cool to see the whole community come out together and just support everybody. You can be yourself, even if you're not gay. It's such a supportive atmosphere and I like that,” Reyes said.
Another attendee, Julie Anitescu, felt affirmed in her identity by attending the Pride parade, she said.
The event marked the 48th anniversary of the first New Mexico Pride parade in 1976 which involved about 25 participants, according to the New Mexico History Museum Blog. On June 8, thousands of people attended the event.
The Pride parade, and the greater Pride Fest coordinated by Albuquerque Pride, occured in the same month as the 1969 Stonewall Riots. The Stonewall Riots – a series of confrontations between police and LGBTQ+ rights activists in New York City – marked a turning point in Albuquerque history. They prompted the community to fight for sexuality and identity acceptance, according to the Albuquerque Pride website.
Many organizations, businesses and other entities participated in the parade, including
the Albuquerque Teachers Federation, American Veterans for Equal Rights Bataan Chapter, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of New Mexico and New Mexico United.
University of New Mexico student-led groups also participated. The United Grad Workers sang and chanted messages about workers’ rights, and individuals from the UNM Palestine solidarity encampment had banners and a float, chanting “No pride in genocide.”
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The ACLU’s float featured posters that read “No more solitary confinement” and “End mass incarceration.” Lena Weber-Salazar, a reproductive rights policy advocate at the ACLU of New Mexico, was on the float.
“LGBTQ+ youth, are stopped, searched, detained and arrested by police at disproportionate rates,” Weber-Salazar said.
Members of the LGBTQ+ community are more likely to face housing and employment discrimination, which increases the likelihood of homelessness and interaction with police, according to the ACLU website. Those who are arrested can become “trapped” in the legal system, according to the website.
“This Pride month we really wanted to highlight the intersections with Queer justice, ending mass incarceration and reimagining public safety, because public safety means safety for everybody,” Weber-Salazar said.
New Mexico United – Albuquerque’s professional soccer team – appeared with a float during the parade. United provides a safe place for the LGBTQ+ community, unlike some other sports teams, Jules Myers, facilitator of United’s participation in the parade, said.
“There were so many people out. I think every year it gets bigger, which is wonderful. There wasn't an empty spot on the sidewalk starting from Girard all the way down to San Mateo,” Myers said.
Myers was accompanied by her colleague, David Wiese-Carl, who said he enjoyed handing out stickers, magnets and flags to children who attended the parade.
“Kids who might be in a place where they're either confused about how they're going to be accepted in their lives, or question whether they're going to be accepted, will know that they've got a place with (United).” Wiese-Carl said.
Nate Bernard is a beat reporter with the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at news@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @DailyLobo
Paloma Chapa is the multimedia editor for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at multimedia@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @paloma_chapa88
Paloma Chapa is the multimedia editor for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at multimedia@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @paloma_chapa88
