Pride Parade

Last weekend was the Utah Pride festival and the Pride parade was on Sunday. Taken from their website, "Utah Pride Festival is a program of the Utah Pride Center, a community-based organization that provides support, education, outreach and advocacy for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer individuals and their allies, through programs, services and resources."

NLA-U had a spot in the parade and a float to put together representing the local leather community. 

Much of Friday night was spent blowing up a million balloons. Okay, maybe not a million, but there were a couple hundred at least. The whole front room of the house was full of them.

On Saturday we got the trailer ready and painted and figured out the best ways to attach some of the group's posters to the float. The showcase of the float would be a big BDSM flag hanging as a canopy over the top of it. An entire frame had to be built for that.

I woke up at an ungodly hour Sunday morning to catch a ride to the staging area for the parade to start setting up. Some of our poor balloons didn't make it but things were reassembled. Quite a few people came to help and the biggest task was putting the frame together to get the flag up. This was the end result.

This was the sign that was marched with up front.

Everything looked fantastic. Quite a few people from different local groups came to march and brought their banners. It was great to see so many people come together for one cause.

I've never attended the parade or festival before, much less been involved in it. It takes a lot of work. A lot, a lot, a lot. But you know what they say, many hands make light work. Every person who showed up to help beforehand and at the parade itself was much appreciated. I wonder what will be thought up for next year!