Denver celebrated its fiftieth anniversary of Denver Pride this June with a weekend of activities, culminating in the parade last Sunday. I had to go! An estimated 100,000 people had the same idea.
Ten years ago, I took part in a Pride parade in Toronto. In 2014, Canada hosted the International World Pride festival. I marched with my brother’s union, and, as a participant, I could wander around as all the groups got lined up and ready to march, where the costumed people were eager to pose, and when I wasn’t tied down to the spectator outskirts. I could move back and forth checking out the front and back of the parade, as I did when I joined the Women’s March in Denver in 2020. This time, my photos are perhaps not quite as intimate as those, or as reflective of the entire length of the parade, but they are worth sharing.
Christopher Sloan, known as Christi Layne, a long-time Denver LGBTQ+ activist, led as Grand Marshal. The parade started in Cheesman Park, often a gay hangout, and stepped down Colfax Avenue, the main drag (pun intended). Staying mostly in place among the crowd on Colfax, I watched the middle of that long line as it went by. It was a special treat to view this fifty-year celebration, even if I couldn’t see it all.
The rainbow-studded parade included nonprofits, companies, municipal and emergency services groups, social groups, political action groups, and any other organization that was able to get a permit to participate. Permits were sold out long before the date. I was pleased to see the variety of people both in the march and in the audience: gay, lesbian, and straight, cis and trans, in drag and almost naked, dressed up and in ordinary clothes, people of color and white, young and old. One word keeps coming back to me as I write about Denver’s Pride community, both its marchers and watchers… Joyous!
The parade ended with tented booths, speeches, and music in Civic Center Park, the nexus of Broadway and Colfax, the major downtown Denver intersection. I was becoming increasingly exhausted by the heat, so I didn’t stay as long as I might have. Aside from a few photos, I sought out the food tents, in their usual event place in front of City Hall, looking for some sustenance to perk me up before the hour drive home to the mountains, where it would be a bit cooler.
Walking back to my car, I handed the rest of my water bottle to a young man who needed it. When I reached the parking lot, my car informed me it was 98 degrees F. And of course, I couldn’t resist a street art stop along the way, a wall honoring Denver notables.
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Email me at: Ruth@RuthRosenfeld.com
Ruth Rosenfeld 
Great pictures Ruth. You always capture the essence of the event in your photos. Thanks for sharing.
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Thanks so much, my friend.
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Great pictures Ruth. I’m glad you said to read the t-shirt. It has such a great message. Maggie
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Thank you, Maggie. I had to run a bit to get ahead of the t-shirt guy to get the photo, he went by so fast and I wasn’t ready with my camera!
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😊
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I loved your post and the wonderful images you shared, dear Ruth 🌈
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I’m so glad this post spoke to you, Luisa. And thanks for the rainbow!
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As ever, you are most welcome, dear Ruth!
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A fine event. Here’s to tolerance, understanding and unity.
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I second that! Thanks for your thoughtful comment.
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Thank you for the photographs. I haven’t been to Denver Pride since 1989. I’m happy to see that it has expanded in scope since then.
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My pleasure. It’s huge and going strong.
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How fun to take part in the Denver Pride parade. Great set of shots. I love the street art as well.
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Thank you, it was wonderful to be a part of it all.
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You barely needed to tell us that the atmosphere was joyous, it comes across so well in all your photos!
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Thanks so much, Sarah! It was a glorious day.
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I love this:
“Imagine being afraid of queers and bookstores”
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Whoops, I misquoted:
“Imagine being afraid of drag queens and bookstores” 🏳️🌈
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I think it was just “books” but you get the idea. Thanks, my friend!
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I didn’t get to attend my city’s Pride this year, but it looks like Denver’s was thriving! Lots of color and people from all walks of life– goes to show that there’s still a lot of love in this world, regardless of gender or sexuality. Thanks for sharing, Ruth 🙂
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Thanks for your lovely comment, Rebecca!
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Looks like a wonderful, colourful event, and you’ve captured some great images.
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Thanks so much! It was great to be a part of it all.
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Great photos! I love all the colours and the masks are fun.
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Thanks so much. There’s a lot of imagination on display in this celebration.
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