Glitter, rainbows and pop music adorned the streets of downtown Phoenix as Phoenix Pride held its 45th annual parade Sunday.
Thousands of members and allies of the LGBTQ+ community lined 3rd Street to see groups ranging from GoDaddy to the Grand Canyon Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence in the parade.
The parade included two ASU-based groups: the LGBTQ+ Faculty and Staff Association and the School of Social Work.
The LGBTQ+ FSA at ASU was established in 2016 and was granted status as a full-time committee in 2017.
Meghan McDermott, the president of the LGBTQ+ FSA, said she was excited to be able to march in this year's parade.
Members of the LGBTQ+ FSA wore shirts that said, "Sun Devils with Pride." In McDermott's experience on campus, she said being a Sun Devil with pride meant being supported at ASU as a queer person and seeing how diverse the community is.
McDermott said she saw a massive shift in the group. She gave high praise to former LGBTQ+ FSA President Antonio Duran, who she said brought a sense of purpose to everything he did.
The group has used that momentum to grow into what it is today.
McDermott said this year was the largest group the LGBTQ+ FSA has been able to get together since joining the parade in 2024.
"I'm really glad that there are Sun Devils showing up with pride, and my hope is that we can get even more next year," McDermott said.
READ MORE: Dancing the night away at Polytechnic's first Rainbow Royale
The School of Social Work was joined by several University-led groups including Qmunity, OUTlaw and GRADient.
"We are marching for equality for all," said Cassie Burtis, the events coordinator for the School of Social Work and incoming graduate student studying community resources and development.
Burtis said the School of Social Work was at Pride to support the people who want to come out but are not able to.
Recently they've started to get into advocacy and engagement because they want to be a safe space for other people, Burtis said. They said since they've come out, they have become more comfortable with themself and they've formed a respectful community.
"Pride, for me, means being able to be myself no matter what," Burtis said. "(It means) being able to walk into a room and proudly be able to say with no fear who I am and what I stand for."
Blake Masterson, a junior studying medical studies, said this was the first pride event he had ever attended.
"You feel supported," Masterson said. "You feel like you're around people that care."
READ MORE: Opinion: ASU needs to listen to its LGBTQ+ students, create safe space on campus
Masterson was happy to see several Arizona healthcare groups show up for Pride.
Companies such as Spectrum Medical, Prisma Community Care and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona sponsored Phoenix Pride. Spectrum and Prisma are LGBTQ+ focused medical groups, with specialty care focused on HIV and AIDS testing and treatment, STI testing and more.
Phoenix Pride's community partnerships also extend to the University. In 2017, Phoenix Pride collaborated with ASU Library to create the Arizona LGBT+ History Project.
The project spans over 50 years of photos, historical records and artifacts that cement the legacy of the LGBTQ+ community in Arizona.
The collection is named Bj Bud Memorial Archives, honoring an activist who helped plan the first Phoenix Pride rally and brought awareness to the AIDS crisis in Arizona.
Whether attendees were seasoned veterans or first-timers, one sentiment was shared by everyone.
"Happy Pride," Burtis said. "Love who you want; be who you are."
Edited by Sam Troester, Emilio Alvarado, Grace Lawrence and Senna James.
Reach the reporter at amahearn@asu.edu and follow @abiahearn on X.
Like The State Press on Facebook and follow @statepress on X.
Abi is a sophomore studying journalism with a minor in political science. This is their first semester with The State Press.
