DURHAM, N.C. — After two years of restricted celebration, “Durham: Pride, NC” returned for its fifth anniversary Sep. 24. This year it was bigger, louder and filled to the brim with color.
Hundreds of onlookers sat eagerly around Duke East Campus, waiting for the annual pride parade to begin. Over 100 groups marched in the parade: bands, nightclubs, churches, students, activists and even Chapel Hill Public Transit.
Performers danced in the streets, parade members tossed candy and music blared from the floats as they passed under the pride flags that lined Main Street. As far as the eye could see, rainbows graced capes, faces, leis and outfits. Whether in line for the food trucks or walking the streets of Durham, the common greeting of “Happy Pride!” could be heard.
This year’s theme for Pride was “IRL,” meaning “In Real Life,” as Pride celebrations can finally be back in person. IRL also has another meaning this Pride: “Inspiring Real Love,” to show love to everyone and spread the message of equality and acceptance that the queer community strives for.
An anonymous student and parade member was walking the parade with their friends, each wearing rainbow leis and a different pride flag as a cape.
“We weren’t expecting this turnout; it’s so cool to see so many queer people in Durham,” they said. “Even though there are some people who don’t want us here, here we are, having fun and being ourselves.”
Along with the parade there was a festival held on the East Campus Quad with booths and food trucks lining the streets. Booths sold Pride merchandise like jewelry and flags for every group in the LGBTQ+ community. The festival also had a medical center where attendees could receive STI and COVID testing as well as monkeypox vaccines.
“We want to help our [local community] as much as we can,” the vaccine administrators said. “We have to look out for each other.”
Unfortunately, there were some challenges leading up to the event. Queer-friendly art gallery and frame store Through This Lens was vandalized early morning Sep. 23 with homophobic messages. The messages read, “F*** Pride” and “Love God” with red and blue spray paint. Store owner Roylee Dovell says that this is the first time he has had any vandalism in the store’s lifetime.
The queer community is not unfamiliar with these messages. Pride has been and always will be a political statement. Pride originated in 1970, on the streets of New York City, in response to the oppression and discrimination of the queer community.
Throughout the Durham Pride parade, people not only spread a message of love and acceptance, but also advocated for issues, including equal pay, abortion and trans rights. Activists heavily advocated for abortion rights in particular due to the upcoming elections in the N.C. House that will impact abortion laws in the state.
Photos by Graham Jones/The ECHO
