I spent several hours outside this evening watching the D.C.’s Pride Parade. Let me share some of it with you:

Let’s have a parade!

The military being allowed to march the parade still makes me so happy:

There were young participants (this is the larger DCPS group; there were also individual elementary schools, as well as school bands, dance groups, and clubs):

And there were old participants (these are all retirees on this bus):

There were even canine participants:

There were great signs (I missed snapping the one that read, “I’m the trans teacher I never had,” and didn’t get a great shot of the one that said, “Jesus had two dads and he turned out fine!”):

There were tutus and tiaras, leather and lace, and feathers and flowers (I did not snap photos of bare skin, but there was a certain amount of that, too):

The great thing about our parade is how many people want to be in it. I watched for more than two hours and there was probably still an hour’s worth of floats and marchers lined up waiting for their cue to begin when I had to head home. In addition to groups that you might expect to see — support groups, clubs, and nonprofits specifically aimed at the target crowd — you also get local and national businesses, embassies, politicians (both elected officials and those seeking votes), churches, and community groups.

It’s a very welcoming event. And this year, maybe a touch defiant, too.

There were rainbows as far as the eye could see.

And candy, beads, and confetti:

(In case you were wondering, the street sweepers are the final participants in the parade.)