SALT LAKE CITY — Crowds gathered at The Gateway on Saturday for the second annual SLC Pride Festival.
“I think it’s really important to be here today — to come together,” said Derek Hanks, a member of Dragon Dads, an organization that supports and strives to be better for their LGBTQ+ kids.
As Pride month wraps up this weekend, people during Saturday’s celebration took a moment to reflect on what it means to come together as a community. On Saturday, Hanks held a sign that said, “Free dad hugs” near a booth. Hanks showed up to support his kid who identifies as trans, he said.
“It’s really very touching,” Hanks said. “There are many people in the crowd that break down and cry and talk about not being accepted by their father or their father has just died. So, it’s a really touching way to serve the community.”
Organizers said about 10,000 people attended the inaugural event last year but expect that number to grow this year. The celebration, which ran from 10 p.m. to noon, included 130 vendors, workshops, panel spaces and stages featuring performances by LGBTQ+ artists.
WATCH: Discover LGBTQ culture and local talent at the SLC Pride Festival at The Gateway
Katrina Nelson painted faces at a booth on Saturday. She took a moment to reflect on what it meant to come together.
“It’s nice that we’re still celebrating even though it’s a volatile time in the world,” she said. “ Sometimes there’s a lot of hatred, and obviously this state is really divided, and it’s a great opportunity to come together and celebrate our differences.”
In the 1980s, Pride celebrations, formerly known as “Gay Pride Day,” were held at different parks like Fairmont Park, Pioneer Park, and Sunnyside Park, according to Utah Pride.
“Sometimes when things are scary, like the shooting we had at the protest, and it makes you want to be silent and shrink away. But I think it’s important to still come together and celebrate who we are and bring each other up,” Nelson said. “There’s a lot of depression right now; people can feel the heaviness of everything that’s happening in the world.”
