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DURHAM, NC. Sept. 30, 2007
The 23rd annual North Carolina LGBT Pride Parade hit news highs on Sept. 29 this year, with reaching an all-time record of OVER 160 vendors and participating organizations and energizing participants with a celebrity performance by Randy Jones, the former "Cowboy" with the Village People. An estimated 6,000-7,000 people attended the parade, with thousands of others participating in PrideFest activities in the Triangle throughout the weekend.
"We continue to build on the positive image we've developed in Durham for the past six years," says Keith Hayes, spokesperson for the Pride Committee of North Carolina. "People know they're going to have a great time at NC Pride. Once they come, they make sure to come back, bringing friends, allies and family with them. It's hard so find another event that's so community-building, both within the LGBT community and with the non-gay communities we work and live in."
Support for the North Carolina LGBT PrideFest continues to come from all quarters. N.C. Senator Ellie Kinnaird gave the keynote address to the crowd. The Grand Marshall was Gary Marshall, a vice president with Replacements, Ltd. in Greensboro.
A small group of ten Christian evangelists returned to the parade for the second consecutive year. But for most participants, their hate speech underscores the fact that prejudice towards the LGBT community still exists and that pride parades play an important role in eroding hatred and claiming our equal place in society.
The North Carolina LGBT Pride Parade is expected to take place next year in late September at Duke University's East Campus.
The Pride Committee of North Carolina is committed to working with the diverse LGBT community to promote unity among gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people and to promote a positive image of our community in North Carolina and beyond.
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