Next time you see her, be sure to congratulate the Statue of Liberty on her recent “marriage”! Now that same-sex marriage has finally been legalized nationwide, the joyful union between Mrs. Liberty and her beloved new wife was witnessed by many during the Twin Cities Pride Parade this year. The newlyweds rode together in the back of their honeymoon truck surrounded by energetic volunteers who willingly braved the hot sun and crowds of people in order to witness this historical moment. The crowd lining the street of the parade exuberantly cheered for us when we marched by- they were pretty psyched to get beads as well. Crowd estimates are chalked up to almost half a million people and many veterans of previous Pride gatherings in Minneapolis said it was the largest turnout they had ever seen.
Besides the onlookers, there were over 100 entries that marched in the Parade. It was fun to see so many other groups marching before, after and alongside us decked out in rainbow colors and extravagant costumes. Other groups parading included Outfront Minnesota, the Twin Cities Gay Men's Chorus and PFLAG Twin Cities, an organization for friends and family of the LGBT community. Andrea Jenkins, an artist and great advocate for Trans rights and Trans people of color was this year’s Grand Marshal and a huge presence as she led the parade.
It was a happy moment for all of us as we celebrated, not only the symbolic union of the Statue of Liberty, but also the right of all in this nation to marry whoever they love, regardless of gender or sexual orientation. We deeply thank those in the Supreme Court who voted for the legalization; and recognize all those who have contributed to making this major step in the struggle for marriage equality possible.