Thousands attend 51st annual Twin Cities Pride Parade in downtown Minneapolis
MINNEAPOLIS -- Sunday is the big finale for Twin Cities Pride.
Thousands attended the Twin Cities LGBTQ+ Pride March in downtown Minneapolis.
The parade honors Ashley Rukes, who is the late transgender LGBTQ+ rights activist and former parade organizer. Dr. Angela Goepfer was this year's parade grand marshal.
MORE: 51st annual Twin Cities Pride kicks off at the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden
From families, athletes and elected officials, early drizzles couldn't stop the crowd.
It's a welcome sight for Andi Otto, Twin Cities Pride's executive director.
"It is wall-to-wall people, just literally full of joy and happiness and excitement," Otto said. "It's a huge celebration of rainbows, and glitter, and everything else under the sun [laughs]!"
While it's the 51st Pride, this year Otto and eight others on the 11-person board are new. They say their goal is to create a welcoming environment. And Pride-goers say they see it.
"It makes you feel like you're part of a community for real, for real. Like you just finally feel like you're someplace you belong," said attendee Alex West.
"It's just the best time ever. Best day ever for me," said Patty Richert, of Princeton. "I think that we've come a long way and it's been a hard road. And this kind of shows with all the families and the kids that they can be who they want to be."
Otto says Sunday's parade, and the weekend as a whole, is about togetherness.
"It's our home. And when you walk in, nobody cares who you are, what you're dressed like, where you've been, anything like that. You're just part of the family," Otto said. "It's just this feeling that you can't really describe, but it's like you're home and it's family. Everybody's happy, which is great."
On Saturday, First Lady Jill Biden made a quick stop at the Twin Cities Pride Festival in Loring Park. She emphasized that the president's administration will continue to fight for LGBTQ+ rights.
