Billy Porter

Steven Pace, Betty Neal are grand marshals for festival, parade June 1-2 in Fair Park

TAMMYE NASH | Managing Editor
Nash@DallasVoice.com

Billy Porter, the acclaimed singer, actor and LGBQ advocate, has been named honorary grand marshal of the 2024 Dallas Pride Parade, formerly known as the Alan Ross Texas Freedom Parade, Dallas Pride officials announced this week. Grand marshals this year are longtime community activists Betty Neal and Steven Pace.
The 2024 Dallas Pride celebration in Fair Park starts Saturday, June 1, with the Pride Music Festival from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., including Family Pride, Teen Pride, vendors and entertainment. Pride continues Sunday, June 2, with the festival from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., then the parade steps off at 2 p.m.

Billy Porter
“We are thrilled to welcome Billy Porter to Dallas Pride,” said Sherrell Cross, executive director of Dallas Pride. “He symbolizes the spirit of unity, pride and resilience within the LGBTQ+ community, and will undoubtedly electrify audiences with his spirit and sparkle.”

Describing Porter as “a trailblazer in the entertainment industry and an outspoken advocate for LGBTQ+ rights,” Dallas Pride officials said that he “has captivated audiences worldwide with his remarkable talent and unwavering commitment to inclusivity and equality.”

Porter has racked up numerous awards over the course of his career, including a Broadway.com Audience Choice Award, a Drama Desk Award, an Outer Critics Circle Award and the Tony Award for outstanding lead actor in a musical for his portrayal of Lola in Kinky Boots; a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album also for Kinky Boots GLAAD’s Vito Russell Award; three Dorian Awards, a Primetime Emmy, a Gold Derby Award and a Queerty Award for his role as Pray Tell in three seasons of Pose on TV; a Tony Award for Best musical as producer of A Strange Loop, The Isabelle Stevenson Award from the Tony Awards in recognition of his work with the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation and Entertainment Community Fund, and the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation’s Commitment to End AIDS Award.

Betty Neal

Betty Neal
Betty Neal moved to Dallas from Fayetteville, Ark., in 1979, and has been finding ways to help her community ever since, whether that meant playing hip-hop in the clubs even when club owners were telling DJs not to play it or working with the health department to bring HIV testing to club parking lots and finding ways to incentivize getting tested so more people would participate.

Neal was instrumental in planning and staging Dallas’ early Black Gay Pride celebrations, in forming Dallas Southern Pride and in beginning the city’s annual LGBTQ Juneteenth celebrations, which are now part of Dallas Southern Pride and have grown to be one of the biggest celebrations in North Texas. Neal is also a longtime Dallas Pride volunteer and board member, and she also volunteers with the city’s other Pride event, Pride in Dallas that is held in September.

Steven Pace
Steven Pace has been a leader in North Texas’ efforts to combat HIV/AIDS and to provide services to those living with the virus since the earliest days of the epidemic.

He was the first clergy member to offer solace and support to the first patient diagnosed with AIDS in Dallas County, he brought other local faith leaders together in those early days to create the AIDS Interfaith Network — known now as Access and Information Network or, more simply, AIN. He was the first on-site house director for the residential facilities at what is now AIDS Services of Dallas, and worked with the late Dr. Ron Anderson to create a clinic devoted specifically to the treatment of HIV/AIDS at Parkland Hospital. He also helped found what is now Resource Center’s Food Pantry.

When he retired from AIN at the end of 2023, Pace had spent more time — 40 years — as head of an HIV/AIDS than anyone else in the country.

Steven Pace

Pride details
The parade is expected once again to extend for at least a mile and will feature more than 150 entries. Admission to the parade is free.

Tickets for the Dallas Pride Music Festival on Saturday — which will feature headliners CeCe Peniston and Ha Sizzle as well as singer Lardi B, DJ Sedric, drag performers Morphine Love Dion and Aquaria and a variety of other entertainers — are $10 (plus service fees) and are on sale now at DallasPride.org. Admission is free for children under 12. The festival will also include more than 200 vendors, Family Pride Zone and Teen Pride and local pet rescue groups on site with adoptable furry friends.

Follow @DallasPride on Facebook, @DallasPrideOfficial on Instagram, @DallasPrideOrg on Twitter, or via the organization’s website DallasPride.org for more information and updates.