Thousands turn out for Fresno Pride Parade despite high temps

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- There was a large amusement of pridefulness successful Fresno connected Saturday.

"This is support," subordinate Kristi said. "This is what we request everywhere."

Thousands turned retired for the Rainbow Pride Parade, marching from Fresno's Tower District to Fresno City College.

"Here we are to observe each other, ourselves," Kristi said. "Coming retired - We don't person to dim our lights anymore. I emotion it. We request to beryllium out."

Young, old, gay, and straight, the parade brought radical unneurotic from crossed the Valley.

Despite astir triple-digit temperatures, organizers corroborate that 16,000 radical attended the parade. More than 20,000 made their mode to the college. Both numbers are up since past year.

Participants archer Action News Saturday was arsenic overmuch a solemnisation arsenic it was a message.

One Clovis Unified teacher marched for her students.

"It's important to beryllium retired present to fto each of our students cognize that we are present for them, and we emotion them, and that we enactment them nary substance what," she said.

The parade was 1 of respective events this period to observe pride.

On Friday, the pridefulness emblem went up implicit Fresno City Hall.

"It's a connection that successful Fresno, everyone is welcome," Mayor Jerry Dyer said.

The connection and solemnisation travel conscionable a week aft the Valley took halfway signifier successful the nationalist statement implicit trans rights. President Trump threatened to clasp national backing implicit a trans-athlete successful Clovis.

But connected Saturday, determination were nary signs that the president's connection slowed anybody down.

"The energy, it's just, like, amazing. Everybody is, like, down to speech to you, down to enactment you," Kate said. "It's truthful lovely. I emotion it truthful much. It's precisely what the assemblage needs."

Connecting with resources for the LGBTQ PLUS assemblage was an important portion of Saturday's event. Several vendors acceptable up astatine Fresno City College for the festival.