The LGBTQ community and supporters gathered at Steele Indian School Park for the Phoenix Pride Festival Saturday and Sunday. Lavish outfits and festive spirit filled the event grounds as people danced and gathered with one another. The pride rainbow colors were a staple piece on festival goers attire.
Not all welcomed the event. Ruben Israel, a nationally infamous “hate preacher” led a demonstration with some of his followers at the First Friday event the night before, not far from the festival grounds, and again at the Phoenix Pride parade April 8.
“It’s not a matter of feelings. It’s what god says. God says it’s wrong,” Israel said.
Israel is adamant that his views are not just limited to the pro-LGBT nature of the pride festival.
“If Phoenix were to host an adultery pride parade we’d be out here too. If Phoenix were to host a fornication pride parade, we’d be out here too. So don’t just make it about homosexuals.”
Cher Peterson McCoy, organizer of the LGBTQ Mormons booth at the Saturday pride festival, has other views.
“You’re not supposed to be preaching hate, Christ is about love,” McCoy said. “If Christ were on this earth today, he’d be here at Pride.”
“How are they sinful just for being gay? They were born that way,” McCoy added.
To McCoy, the main statement in Christianity is “love above all.”
Victor Parra, a gay man, celebrated pride at Saturday’s festival with his boyfriend Josh Brekke.
“It’s not about your sexual orientation, it’s about just being who you are and equality,” said Parra.
When asked what the Pride festival means to him, Parra said “It represents freedom.”
Avery Swanson, a straight woman who attended the event with gay friends, said the festival is important to her “because I have so many close friends that are gay, lesbian, transsexual, bisexual and I’m just here to support them all.”
Swanson also said that there is no reason for hate and people come together at this event to celebrate love for all races, genders, and sizes.
“All the love, equality it means so much and I wish everybody would get on board all across the country, all across the world,” Swanson said.
