At Pride on Broadway, Nashville's LGBTQ+ community and local groups rally for one another
Nashville’s LGBTQ+ community and its religious, educational and corporate institutions rallied around one another beneath a 90-degree sun to celebrate Pride on Saturday.
A spirit of encouragement coursed down Lower Broadway as more than 100 floats greeted thousands of bystanders, each side sending messages of solidarity.
“Y’all means all,” “This pastor loves you” and “Pride is suicide prevention” were among messages displayed by parade marchers on signs and shirts. Rep. Justin Jones, D-Nashville, got out of a convertible serving as the state lawmaker’s parade chariot to meet a cheerily raucous audience and give out stickers near Hume-Fogg Academic High School. Meanwhile, Rev. Ingrid McIntyre, a local United Methodist pastor marching with Jones’ float, led the crowd in a chant of “You can’t stop the revolution!”
Other parade features and floats included the Middle Tennessee Transgender Alliance, the TriStar Pride Color Guard skillfully spinning large rainbow flags in sync, a marching band with the Music City PrEP Clinic performing Beyoncé’s “Crazy in Love,” a Rhythm Nation coordinated dance performance followed by a bus of drag performers, the Metro Council LGBTQ Caucus, GracePointe and Glenadale United Methodist churches, Jewish Nashville, and Vanderbilt University.
Related: Nashville will paint and dedicate rainbow crosswalk at the end of Pride Month
On the other side of the fence, Gabrielle Greene and Madison Mergen were glitzing parade watchers at the “Glitter Bar” alongside Bridgestone Arena. The most common requests the two received were to touch up tattoos and mustaches, Greene said. Less than a block away, Susan Clayton and Kristin Willocks offered a different gift: “Free Mom Hugs.” When the two friends purchased shirts with that message in 2019, they didn’t know there was a whole organized movement around that message, nor did they expect such a positive reception.
“Our first time, we had no idea we were going to get anything,” said Willocks. But each year they give out more and more hugs to bystanders and parade marchers alike.
In addition to their shirts, Willocks held up a sign with the same message, which helps catch the attention of parade marchers. “I run out there and hug them as their marching," Willocks said. "If that’s what they need, it’s such a privilege to be able to give that to them."
Clayton echoed her friend, saying there are times when some of the random people they hug hold on tight.
“It’s just so great to love on people,” said Clayton. “At least one precious person who clearly needed that support, connection, validation, affirmation.”
More: How Nashville Pride evolved in the 36 years since the city held its first parade
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: LGBTQ+ community, local groups rally for each other at Nashville Pride
