If Pride parades in Rochester in recent years were a celebration of victories including the legalization of same sex marriage, next month's event is expected to have a more resistant tone.
According to the Gay Alliance of the Genesee Valley, a number of the participants who have registered to march in the ROC Pride Parade on Park Avenue on July 15 say they will demonstrate their opposition to recent actions by the Trump Administration.
For instance, members of the local LGBTQ community are concerned about the rollback of protections for transgender students.
"We've seen that through the new Education Secretary who, just in recent days, has released some items about the fact that transgender students aren't a legitimate concern that the federal government needs to worry about protecting," said Scott Fearing, executive director of the Gay Alliance.
As a 501(c)3 organization, Fearing said the Alliance can't take a strong political stance, but parade participants are free to deliver their own message.
The Gay Alliance is also sending a busload of local residents to Washington, D.C. for the national Equality March for Unity and Pride on Sunday. The event was inspired by the Women’s March on Washington in January.
A solidarity event will take place in Rochester Sunday from noon to 2 p.m. at Washington Square Park.
Fearing said multiple groups are partnering with the Gay Alliance for the event. They include PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays), Planned Parenthood, NOW, Pride at Work AFL-CIO, Moms Demand Action, and the Islamic Institute.
"Oftentimes the LGBTQ community is thought of as being especially white gay males because they tend to be most visible, but the reality is we're people with disabilities; we're people of all faiths, we're people of all religions and economic means, and one of the points of the rally is to drive that home."
Fearing said the purpose of the rally is to send a message of solidarity and unity.
