Since the early 1990s, Orlando has hosted many Pride events each year, and attendance has only risen since then. The largest of these events is the annual Come Out With Pride parade and festival, which draws over 200,000 people yearly, representing many different groups, with varying gender identities and sexual orientations, as well as different ethnicities and age groups.
This past October marked the event’s 22nd year and included a parade with over 200 participating organizations, a marketplace with more than 250 vendors, and three stages for performances from Drag Race winner Myki Meeks, the Orlando Gay Chorus, Blue Man Group Orlando, and various other featured artists. The nonprofit organization Come Out With Pride puts event proceeds toward scholarships for local LGBTQ+ students, plus other nonprofits, community centers, and advocacy groups. Events like these provide a clear vision of a brighter future for members of the queer community, and this becomes evident through the experiences of the young attendees.
Building a supportive community
Come Out With Pride emphasizes the idea that community is built through similarities but strengthened through differences. 18-year-old Mallory Beaver attended this year’s celebration. She attributes the importance of the event to the fact that “it allows you to realize that there are so many other people in your community that are like you.” However, she also notes that “the parade included many different kinds of people and no matter who it was, the crowd was really loud and cheered the entire time,” contributing to the “extremely welcoming and joyful” nature of her surroundings. Pride events such as this one can create space for people from all walks of life to feel the relentless support from their closest friends or from people they have never met. A sense of belonging is forged by this group of people who treasure their shared experiences while also embracing their unique identities.
Love is Stronger than Hate
Pride parades are a safe space, and they serve as representation for all forms of love. Dara Alalade, another young participant, says that this event “shows the world how the LGBT+ community has and will always exist no matter how hard you try to ignore or erase their presence.” She notes how it can make spectators feel less isolated and free to love out loud. In a world where it can be hard for some voices to be heard, Come Out With Pride shows there is room for all kinds of voices, especially when they are used to combat a rhetoric that puts limits on who to love. As Alalade says, “love and community will always be stronger than hate and division,” and Orlando Pride events continue to shine a spotlight on that.
Promoting self-acceptance
On an individual level, pride events can foster a sense of self-worth. 19-year-old Sophia De Souza recalls looking forward to attending a pride parade for quite some time. “Being able to go for the first time made me feel something I haven’t felt before, and I think it was acceptance because I’ve always been afraid of my own sexuality and… [people] judging me because of who I like, but being there, seeing everyone being so open and confident with the people they love, it felt like the next step to acceptance within myself,” says De Souza. The 2025 U.S. National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ+ Young People, done by The Trevor Project, found that 47% of LGBTQ+ young people (aged 13-24) reported experiencing recent symptoms of depression. Orlando’s Come Out With Pride parade, along with many other events, could have a wider impact on the mental health and safety of young adults across the country. De Souza emphasizes that “there was no shame or being scared or worried about people judging you; the entire time the environment felt like a peaceful world where everyone could be happy.” Through people like De Souza, it is made clear the importance and impact of Pride events, and why they should continue to grow.
Orlando is known to be one of the best cities for LGBTQ+ events in the Southeast, and the youth presence is a strong indicator of the growth that could come in the future. Through support, representation, and acceptance, the queer community continues to inspire positive change.