Pride Month 2024 officially began in Memphis on Saturday during the annual Pride Parade down Beale.
As an entire four-day festival, the 49th annual Memphis Pride Festival took about a year to plan, but Saturday's parade arguably embodied the "vibrant spirit" of the Mid-South's LGBTQ+ community.
"Pride means acceptance, love, affirmation — just being here with everybody is really affirming because as a child, I wasn't really able to express myself," attendee Raven said. "Seeing other trans people and being around everyone is just really heartwarming."
Here's some pics from the 2024 Memphis Pride Parade
The founder of Mid-South Trans Nation, Jenna Lee Dunn, said there's "a lot of people" who would disapprove of the parade in general, but that's precisely why the community participates in it.
"Pride is all about coming out and showing your colors and being loud and showing everybody that we're not afraid to be out here" she said. "There's a lot of hate and a lot of people that don't like pride month."
To Memphis mayor Paul Young, Pride means "community."
"It means being inclusive," Young said at the parade. "It means making sure that every resident in our community feels included and all that things that our great country and our great city has to offer."
Attendee Elaphe said Pride Fest is also "a protest."
"This is a statement of defiance," Elaphe said. "We are here whether you like it or not, and there is nothing you can do about it."
On Sunday, wigs, grits and waffles continued the weekend at Cossitt Library as the annual drag brunch brought Mid-South Pride 2024 to a close.
Growing attendance means that the event has technically outgrown venues used in previous years.
President of Mid-South Pride Vanessa Rodley said the Memphis Public Libraries has been a tremendous supporter of the LGTBQ+ community.
"It's more about us being proud of who we are, no matter who we are," Rodley said. "You can be straight, trans, bi, lesbian, gay — any alphabet letter and still be accepted and present and visible to our community and it be ok."