Despite the “dress code” controversy surrounding this year’s 30th anniversary of the Alan Ross Texas Freedom Parade, the event was mostly business as usual on Sunday.
The crowd seemed larger that in previous years, and it remained thick on both sides of the street at least two blocks on the Turtle Creek side of Oak Lawn Avenue. No official crowd estimate was immediately available from police.
Many still wore underwear and shoes only, political candidates and representatives from various bars and charities rode atop floats, cheerleaders entertained, and evangelical Christian counterprotesters could be found just cross Turtle Creek Boulevard from the ensuing Festival in Lee Park.
It should be noted that, unlike the students from Christ For the Nations Institute who come out on Friday nights, this particular group’s brand of witnessing was filled with dire warnings of fire and brimstone delivered via megaphone.
Memorable phrases included:
“God loves every homosexual and lesbian that He sends to hell.”
“Repent now or perish.”
“Burning in hell adds a whole new meaning to ‘flaming homosexual.'”
As insults were hurled by the man with the megaphone, many attendees at Lee Park stood on the other side of the street and mocked and cursed the protesters. More than a few could be seen flipping the bird.
At one point 15 to 20 LGBT folks and allies marched across the street, held hands, and formed a barrier between the two groups while wearing rainbow shirts, or holding rainbow flags. “I love my gay kid” was scrawled on one woman’s T-shirt.
All in all, it seemed to be par for the course. The only significant differences appear to be the chain link fence at the Melrose Hotel that blocked parade-goers from gathering on its lawn, the spike in post-parade traffic in the area, and the absence of Mayor Mike Rawlings for the first time in three years.
View our slideshow here. For a full recap of Pride, see Friday’s print edition.
More photos below.
