Albuquerque kicked off Pride Month with a double event on Saturday, June 13, starting with a morning parade in Nob Hill followed by Pride Fest at Civic Plaza, marking a 50-year legacy of celebrating Pride annually in the city.
Starting at 10 a.m. and lasting two hours, an intergenerational crowd of around a few thousand people gathered along Central Avenue between Wellesley Drive and San Mateo Boulevard and cheered on the several parade floats representing local businesses, organizations, schools and community members.
Supporters in the crowd and performers on floats exchanged items like whistles, fans, water, candies, stickers and bracelets. Some attendees wore shirts that read “free mom hugs” or “free dad hugs,” that brought members of their community together for a small but heartfelt moment.
Albuquerque’s first pride parade took place in 1976, when an informal group of around 25 people marched on Central Avenue for LGBTQ+ rights, with some marchers ending up at Morningside Park, according to New Mexico Political Report. The park now honors that Pride legacy with two sculptures that resemble the “roots of pride” in Albuquerque, according to KOAT.
The Albuquerque Pride Parade is now an annual event organized by Albuquerque Pride, which was recognized as a non-profit organization in 1997.
Lexis Lovato is a beat reporter for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at news@dailylobo.com or on X @lovatolexis
