Capital Pride Parade attendees highlight importance of parade's return

Capital Pride Parade returns to DC

FOX 5's Perris Jones spoke with attendees of the Capital Pride Parade Saturday to get their thoughts on the importance of the parade returning to D.C. for the first time in two years.

WASHINGTON - It's Capital Pride weekend in the District as thousands of people are gathering in D.C. to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community.

As part of the festivities, The Capital Pride Parade was held in D.C. on Saturday for the first time in two years thanks to a pandemic induced hiatus.

Download the FOX 5 DC News App for Local Breaking News and Weather

This year's parade featured a new route, which started on 14th Street, just south of T Street, before turning off on Rhode Island and going through the Logan Circle and Dupont Circle areas. The parade ended at the intersection of 21st Street and P Street.

FOX 5's Perris Jones spoke to some of the thousands of attendees to get their feelings on the parade returning in person.

"It makes me feel free glad to be out in the world again," one attendee told FOX 5.

Perris Jones also spoke to a couple who said this year's Pride events are especially important to them.

"This is our first time celebrating pride festival as an engaged couple so it’s incredibly exciting," the couple told FOX 5. "To have this moment where we can feel free to be a couple feels absolutely wonderful. There aren’t enough words to explain how it feels to be able to come out and be 100 percent yourself."

Other attendees expressed the general importance of the parade returning.

"We’re showing we’re not going back in history no matter what anybody in the country wants and that we are valid in who we are," said one attendee.

Another told FOX 5, "it’s great to see that there are people here that are allies as well as those who are here to celebrate who I am."

And one attendee, who recently moved to D.C., highlighted how the event made them feel at home.

"You know D.C. has become like my home at this point, so this is the first where I get to see the city celebrate who I am, so I feel great about it," they told FOX 5.

SUBSCRIBE TO FOX 5 DC ON YOUTUBE

The festivities for Pride weekend continue Sunday in D.C. with the Capital Pride Festival.