Tucson Pride celebrates 45th pride celebration in Tucson

October 3, 2022

A car driving in the Pride Parade presented by Intuit on the Lifelong Pillars of the Community. They are a part of the Tucson Queerstory section of the parade.

Tucson Pride held its annual Pride Parade in Downtown Tucson and Armory Park Sept. 30, marking “45 years of Pride in the Desert.”

The parade kicked off at 7:30 p.m., starting from Stone Avenue, moving northbound and ending at Armory Park. The parade was filled with many people; some sported pride flags and lights, bringing color to the event. Painted cars and signs also spotlighted the night for individuals to show their pride.

The parade itself lasted for an hour, but the festivities continued over the weekend with the Pride Festival on Saturday and Pride Brunch on Sunday.

The parade was created by Tucson Pride, an organization that is focused on promoting support for the LGBTQIA+ community in Tucson. They are an all-volunteer administered and operated nonprofit that has been running since 1977, making it Arizona’s first and longest-running LGBTQIA+ organization.

The Annual Pride in the Desert is a yearly celebration that Tucson Pride sponsors, which includes the Pride Parade, Pride Festival and much more.

Parade attendee, Cristina Ortega, shares her thoughts about the event after the parade’s end.

“It’s a beautiful event that not only brings people together, but it’s also a way to bring awareness towards the LGBTQ community. These festivities are meant to showcase the proudness that we feel about being a part of this community,” Ortega said.

This is Ortega’s second ever Tucson pride parade, and she showed excitement for the rest of the weekend’s festivities.

“I have met so many kindhearted and loving individuals at these events, and I want other people to know that if they ever feel alone or that they have no one who has their back, no matter your sexual background, these people here will support you,” Ortega said.

That’s the main goal of Tucson Pride, to show support for the LGBTQIA+ community. They have developed many resources to help the community, including scholarships for LGBTQIA+ students.

For more information on volunteering opportunities or future events, go to Tucson Pride’s website to access this and more.