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Richard Piatt reportingOnce a year, Salt Lake City becomes one of dozens of American cities to hold a Pride Festival, originally called ‘Gay Pride.' This year, not only are there more people than ever taking part, but they're aware of their growing political power.
Like any parade, the floats and the people on them are, at times, over the top. Like any occasion, people want to draw attention to themselves, make it a point to say, "We're here, we're not going away."
Thousands of people at Pride are walking and watching for fun, but there is something else. Behind the flamboyance there is growing discontent with having to ask for attention. There is more of a desire for political candidates who are thinking about issues facing the gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgendered population.
Volunteers are out registering people to vote, but lots of people are already ready to vote this fall. Voter Marcus McCalab said, "We're in a lot of trouble. There's a lot of changes that need to be made, and we need someone with the courage to make those changes."
Stewart Ralphs was helping people register to vote. He said, "I think a lot of people are excited about the candidates both locally and the presidential race. A lot of people will say they want to vote for Obama."
At the same time, it would be a mistake to assume everyone there is from a particular political party. There are people who consider themselves mostly conservative but who aren't opinionated about people.
At the temporary tattoo parlor, Jane Hardy's sons were getting a lesson in accepting people for who they are. She said, "I want to make sure, and so does my husband, to raise them with open minds when they're young to help them understand that everybody is a child of God, everybody is lovable, and everybody has the same rights."
There are a lot of people at Utah's Pride festival, but it's just one part of a bigger picture. Pride festivals across the nation draw millions of people every year.
E-mail: rpiatt@ksl.com
