As downtown Phoenix was echoing cheers and "Happy Pride" calls, thousands of participants in decorated vehicles, grandiose floats or just walking banded together to celebrate pride.
The 44th annual Pride Parade gathered over 15,000 spectators and members of the LGBTQ+ community on Sunday, Oct. 19.
Participating organizations provided attendees with rainbow-colored merchandise, drinks and candy at the parade.
Each participating organization could also enter the parade with floats featuring pride flags, drag performances and and a flashback to Rio Carnival with Brazilian dancers.
Savannah Cartagena, a sophomore studying medical studies, said it was her first Pride Parade. Cartagena is also the downtown campus liaison for Devils in the Bedroom.
Devils in the Bedroom is a student organization aiming to provide detailed and inclusive sexual education. At the parade, they handed out candy and free condoms to promote safe sex with the School of Social Work.
READ MORE: Devils in the Bedroom destigmatizes sexual education, focuses on creating safe space
Devils in the Bedroom tries to create a welcoming space and keep the education and resources open to everybody, no matter what, Cartagena said.
She also said while ASU supports the LGBTQ+ community on campus, the University's backing of certain groups with conflicting values can feel contradictory at times.
"While we're definitely at a great point right now in what's being done, there's always more that could be done for the community," Cartagena said.
Ben Haynes, a graduate student studying communication and a public policy liaison in ASU's LGBTQ+ Faculty and Staff Association, said the organization's goal is to show there is a queer community on campus, and that community has allies and support.
Haynes said FSA offered a communities of care event in the spring because of anti LGBTQ+ sentiment on campus at the time. This was its attempt at a counter event to offer a safe space to the community.
"Despite whatever darkness might find us, we're going to continue our work, and we're going to continue to push back," Haynes said.
Rep. Greg Stanton attended the parade in an ASU shirt, high-fiving people on the sidewalk.
Stanton said he has been a returning attendee for 25 years now. He said the parade was a celebration of the Phoenix's diversity and a statement about the community's willingness to stand for their rights.
"You don't fight (for) civil rights by staying home," Stanton said. "You've got to get out and hit the streets."
Stanton said that universities are the future of the country, and their diversity should be celebrated and their students should be supported.
Toby Guisto, a freshman studying theater, said it is not his first time walking in the parade. He said he feels threatened every day for wanting to be himself as a queer person.
"I've gotten to the point where I'm not going to keep hiding myself," Guisto said. "I'm going to wear my pride shirts in public."
Guisto said he feels supported by his university due to the work ASU does to highlight queer voices, such as the LGBTQ+ history archive.
"You've got to ignore the hate, because there is a lot of hate," Guisto said. "They don't know you. They don't know anything about you. Just be queer and be queer unapologetically."
Edited by Kasturi Tale, Henry Smardo, Tiya Talwar, Sophia Braccio and Ellis Preston.
Reach the reporter at dkovalen@asu.edu.
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Diana is in her first semester with The State Press and second semester at the Cronkite School, pursuing a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication with a minor in political science.
