The Philly Pride Parade and Festival was held on June 12 a few hours after the shooting in Orlando. So many people were taken back by the tragedy. I had conversations with some of the people at the parade about the disaster and they all had the same reaction, grief-stricken. Some were even scared to be at the parade in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. If it happened in Orlando, could it happen in Philadelphia too?

Despite the fear, people who attended had an amazing time. There was dancing, singing, chanting, and love throughout the whole festival. Before the day began, we held a moment of silence for the lives of our community that were taken away from us; for Orlando, for the LGBTQ individuals who have committed suicide, sexually transmitted infections etc. After the moment of silence, a wonderful parade kicked off. It began with bikers and was nothing but fun and laughter until the end. There was the party group that dressed in neon colors with long balloons connected to their costumes. As they danced, the balloons waved in the air. Groups ranged from dancing on floats to carrying rainbow flags dressed in astounding costumes. The crowd went wild as the parade marched on. The whistling and chants progressively got louder as it got later in the day.

The people in the crowd did a wonderful job of making the parade fun as well. When my two friends and I couldn't find a place to stand, we were pulled into another group of friends who we ended up staying with the rest of the day.

There were so many companies that supported the LGBTQ+ community, Jefferson and children's hospitals, Discover, T-mobile, AT&T, counseling services, and so much more. Beads were being thrown along with sunglasses, t-shirts, and informative cards. The amazing costumes were probably my favorite; they sparkled and screamed pride. Even though I gave half of my stuff to a little boy who was too small to catch anything, I still managed to have the time of my life. I have never felt so much love in one area. Every person walking by had the nicest attitude and smiles filled the crowd. People were laughing and conversing as one. No one person was looked at as different or even treated differently. Every single person standing there, and trust me there were a lot, were all relaxed and accepting.

The parade was only the beginning of the fun. At Penn's Landing, by the water front, there was a concert. Barry Manilow and Deborah Cox both made an appearance. Two people got married on stage that day, exchanging their vows in front of hundreds of people. There were vendors everywhere selling rainbow everything. There was so much pride. Everywhere you turned there were people dressed in rainbow and neon colors. Everyone in the crowd was dancing and having the time of their lives. The community grew as the day progressed. I talked to many people and they made me feel honored to be who I am. Thank you Philly Pride for allowing the LGBTQ+ community join together as one to celebrate who we are as humans! Today, we thought we were just living but it turns out the Philly Pride Parade was an oppurtunity to make memories that would last a lifetime.