Jessica Patrice Turner
Audio By Carbonatix
On Saturday, June 6, the city celebrated Pride Month with the inaugural Dallas Pride Sunset Parade, which featured floats from several local and national organizations. In prior years, the parade had been held during the daytime at Fair Park.
The Dallas Pride Sunset Parade arrives at a crucial time for the LGBTQ+ community, notably in Texas, where legislators have made drag bans, inclusive sex education and Pride symbols hot-button issues. Earlier this year, the rainbow crosswalks in Oak Lawn made national headlines when Gov. Greg Abbott ordered their removal from the streets. Now, at an inflection point, the local LGBTQ+ community has banded together to ensure they remain visible — this year’s parade theme was “Rainbows Don’t Wash Away.”
For many community members, like Dallas-based gay country artist Kameron Ross, visibility through celebrations like the Dallas Pride Parade is emblematic of inclusion.
“Pride has always been important to me, but it feels especially significant right now. In a time when so many people in the LGBTQ+ community, as well as other minority communities, are facing challenges and uncertainty, visibility matters,” Ross says. “It’s a chance to honor those who came before us, support one another in the present, and create hope for the future. This time of year gives us an opportunity to stand proudly in who we are and make sure every member of our community has the chance to shine.”
Inspired by that sense of community, Ross, who performed at Metroball at Station 4 the night before the parade, released a song titled “Crosswalks.”
In addition to crosswalks, other queer spaces have faced similar threats. Back in April, Israel Luna’s Spayse Studios, which serves as a production studio as well as a private events space and nude yoga studio, was raided by police, and Luna, along with associate Marc Tuton, were booked into Dallas County Jail. Both Luna and Tuton have maintained that the events in question were legal and have actively fought the charges against them.
But despite the looming threats and tumultuous climate facing the LGBTQ+ community, joy persisted throughout the parade. Moms were giving hugs; kink was present, as people were in leather and harnesses; furries took to the streets.
Drag bans also couldn’t deter our local drag performers, as Barbie Davenport Dupree, Cassie Nova, Lola L. Bug and Kylee O’Hara Fatale delivered a larger-than-life performance atop a float featuring a replica of the Dallas skyline.
“To simply exist as an unabashedly proud queer person is now viewed as a radical statement,” Dallas resident Dimitrius Bradford told us of attending the parade. “It’s meant to stoke fear, but it’s more important than ever to remind others that the courage to be true to yourself remains possible. Love remains possible. And love always endures.”
Other highlights included the Oak Lawn Band, which performed a gorgeous, fitting arrangement of Twisted Sister’s “We’re Not Gonna Take It.” The Big D Flag Corps also performed a choreographed routine set to the music of ABBA.
One of the most memorable floats came from the Dallas Zoo, featuring a large, bedazzled elephant. And though corporate support for Pride has dwindled, as several companies have rolled back DEI policies in recent years, corporations like the Dallas-based Southwest Airlines still showed up for the parade. Also in attendance was Grupo Bimbo, which handed out free Takis to spectators.
As is par for the course for any Pride celebration, religious protesters were present at the sidelines. Thankfully, the music and the community spirit were enough to drown out the hate.
Pride festivities will continue throughout June in North Texas. Check out the full parade photos slideshow below.
All photos by Jessica Patrice Turner.
