Thousands Celebrate During Denver Pride: See Moments Here
A representative of Meow Wolf, a psychedelic walk-through art experience that opened a location in Denver in September 2021, smiles at the crowd during the parade. The Denver Pride parade was on Sunday, June 25 after a weekend of other celebrations, including a 5K and small marketplace, in downtown Denver.
June 27, 2023
This weekend, Denverites gathered downtown to celebrate Pride Month through a collection of festivals, live performances, and a parade. On Sunday, a 14-block parade down Colfax gathered thousands of viewers as colorful floats and costumed supporters passed by.
The Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the queer community in Colorado sponsored the parade alongside Coors Light, and hosted nearly 100 contingent groups to march in the parade. Marchers handed out gifts to crowds, played music, and danced as they made their way towards Civic Center Park, where the parade ended.
The parade was accompanied by many other events over the weekend, including a 5K and Denver PrideFest!, where over 500,000 people could explore food vendors and exhibitions.
This year, many viewed the parade as a way to express themselves while also resisting anti-queer rhetoric that had grown over the last few months.
“For me, attending pride events is a way of expressing opposition to queer hate. I think my presence at events helps demonstrate the power behind the LQBTQ+ community,” senior Nat Wilkes said. “The LGBTQ+ community has been silenced and attacked, pride is the protest against the hate, and an expression of queer power.”
Over 520 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been introduced, and over 70 of those have been passed, according to the Human Rights Campaign. Colorado has not passed any anti-queer legislature, but states like Florida, Texas, and Tennessee are hot spots for banning gender affirming care, drag performances, and censuring school curriculum.
“The importance of pride to me is having the freedom to speak out freely about who you love, your love for someone shouldn’t be confined into a specific [or] heteronormative box,” junior Kat Murphy said. “You should be able to live freely and love freely.”
Many also viewed the pride events as a way of coming together and celebrating a community with joy. Costumes, music, and posters made for a cheerful and comfortable environment for guests to enjoy.
“My favorite part of pride was definitely seeing people look and feel comfortable in their own skin,” Murphy said. “I think pride in general really brings out the realness in people.”
See moments from the parade below.
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A representative of Deep Eddy Vodka celebrates during the parade.
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A member of Escola De Samba Denver, a Brazilian dance school and performing company, dances during the parade.
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Drag queen Lady Justice, a representative of the Colorado State Public Defender (CSPD) office, waves and smiles at the crowd. CSPD provides legal defense to those who are financially unable to retain private counsel.
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Members of Transparenting, a group dedicated to providing advocacy for parents and families of transgender and nonbinary children, hold up a sign that reads “One caring adult can make a difference.”
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A marcher holds up rainbow streamers and smiles into the crowd during the parade.
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A representative of Peaks Pike Pride, an organization that supports LGBTQ+ communities in the Pikes Peak region, dances during the parade.
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Members of the crowd pose for a selfie during the parade. The parade brought in nearly 100,000 guests, part of the total 525,000 people attending pride events over the weekend.
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A member of the Gay Rodeo group rides a horse and waves at the crowd during the parade. The Rocky Mountain Gay Rodeo, a livestock show and three-day competition, will be held in early July.
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A Planned Parenthood representative gestures to the crowd during the parade. Planned Parenthood, a nonprofit organization that provides reproductive and sexual health care and education, is often involved in parades and protests in downtown Denver.
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A marcher encourages the crowd to cheer during the parade.
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A representative of the Denver Zoo smiles and holds up a bisexual pride flag during the parade.
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A member of the Flaggots, a queer dance program, smiles while performing in the parade.
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Denver Mayor-elect Mike Johnston greets members of the crowd during the parade. Johnston won the mayoral vote by 55%, beating opponent Kelly Brough on Tuesday, July 6.
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A member of Denver7 ABC hands out necklaces to a child in the crowd during the parade.
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People in the crowd cheer during the parade.
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This article was awarded an Honorable Mention from the Columbia Student Press Association for Photo Slideshow.
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