As the Oct. 11 Phoenix Pride parade grew louder along Third Street, Randy Walters embraced a passerby beside his handmade free-hugs booth.
His shirt carried a simple instruction: “Be good to people for no reason.”
Walters, 73, said he offered hugs to anyone, including to LGBTQ people who had been alienated from their families.
Along the parade route, Walters' booth was one of several places where people made their support visible.
Phoenix Pride’s parade traveled south on Third Street, ending at the entrance to a festival at the Arizona Center and marking the organization’s 45th anniversary.
Phoenix Pride spokesperson Jeremy Helfgot said the festival’s move followed 23 years at Steele Indian School Park, interrupted by the pandemic.
Organizers changed
the route and festival format, hoping to preserve the connection between the procession and the celebration at its finish.
Attendance figures were not yet available when Helfgot spoke with The Arizona Republic before noon. He said spectators packed the route and that he watched marchers and spectators enter Arizona Center as the parade wound down.
Small gestures of support
About 10 motorcyclists opened the parade, followed by drag queens on the first float.
Children and adults watched as the procession passed. Rainbow colors appeared on flags, balloons, umbrella hats and bandanas. Even dogs wore outfits.
At a pop-up booth, Chelsea Reichhard gave away handmade pins displaying pronouns and messages supporting LGBTQ people.
Reichhard, 36, of Queen Creek, said she helped organize a pin-making event that brought together friends and strangers. She described the work as “craftivism,” a small way to participate in the community and give people a visible means of expressing support.
“You don’t need anyone’s permission to participate in your community,” Reichhard said.
In the thick of the parade, Thomas Ballan-Durán, carried a military themed flag and wore Army camouflage through the procession, exchanging fist bumps with people along the route.
His sign read, “We defended your freedom. Defend our visibility.”He said he served in the Army from 2004 to 2013, and that he and his husband started Marching for Vets to increase visibility and build connections among LGBTQ veterans.
“There’s not many LGBT veteran groups… and we are a large population,” Ballan-Durán said.For Walters, expanding connection could also begin with a fist bump or a high-five, depending on what someone preferred.
He said he has been offering hugs at Phoenix Pride for a decade, becoming known among family and friends as “the hug guy.”
He described meeting LGBTQ people who had been alienated from their families. Recalling his experiences giving hugs in Bisbee, he said, “One girl called me dad.”
“Nobody should have to live that way,” Walters said.
Security and a history of visibility
The celebration came nearly six weeks after a gunman killed Cameron Davis Capara, 33, and Vincent Anthony Siqueiros, 42, outside Tucson’s Venture-N gay bar on Aug. 31, according to Tucson police.
Along the Phoenix parade route, police vehicles and motorcycles blocked cross streets, with barricades at intersections including Portland Street.
Helfgot said organizers had coordinated with public safety partners and that he checked with them again the morning of Oct. 11 before the event proceeded.
“When we talk about safe spaces, that means creating spaces that are safe in the meta sense but also in the very real practical sense,” Helfgot said.
This year’s anniversary celebration traced its roots to a 1981 march through downtown Phoenix to the state Capitol. Gay and lesbian activists organized the march to draw attention to gay rights, according to Phoenix Pride’s history.
Politicians join Phoenix Pride
Gov. Katie Hobbs joined other political figures in the procession.
Phoenix Councilmember Laura Pastor rode in a fire truck bearing APS markings, while U.S. Rep. Greg Stanton moved from side to side to greet spectators.
“We love you, Mayor Gallego,” one spectator shouted to Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego.
“Right back at you,” she responded over a microphone.
Adrian Fontes handed out stickers and called to the crowd: “Happy Pride, make sure you vote early.”
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Rey Covarrubias Jr. is a reporter for The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com. Email him at: rcovarrubias@azcentral.com, and connect with him on Instagram, Threads, Bluesky and X (formerly Twitter) at @ReyCJrAZ.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Hugs, small gestures mark Phoenix Pride’s 45th year
