It is currently the most attended and largest gay pride event in Texas, the Southwest region of the United States, and the second largest Houston-organized event in the city behind Houston Rodeo. Owing partially to concerns over increasing congestion over the years in the nearby neighborhoods, and to accommodate a larger festival (held in the daytime before the parade itself), the 2015 parade was moved to downtown Houston. The route of the parade usually had been along Westheimer Road, from Dunlavy Street to Crocker Street. Until 2015, it took place in Houston's most gay-friendly neighborhood, Montrose. With the event after dark, the various units can be creatively illuminated. The necessary revision in a Houston parade ordinance to allow a nighttime parade was facilitated by then-Houston City Council member Annise Parker. The highlight of the event is the parade, which has been held in the evening after sunset since 1997. The festivities are held all day on the 4th Saturday of June. This event commemorates the 1969 police raid of the Stonewall Inn on Christopher Street in New York City's Greenwich Village neighborhood, which is generally considered to be the beginning of the modern gay rights movement. The festival takes place in June to celebrate the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and their allies. “And then, we can have pride in 2022.The Houston Gay Pride Parade (or often called the Houston Pride Parade) is the major feature of a gay pride festival held annually since 1979. “If you’re not vaccinated, make sure that you attend future events,” Holland said. That number sits at just over 60% statewide.Īlong with scaled back pride events, Holland said that Pride Houston will be organizing vaccine drives in the coming months, and encouraged residents to get their shots. The country’s unvaccinated population now makes up a majority of infections.Ībout 54% of eligible Harris County residents have been fully vaccinated, according to the Department of State Health Services. Reported cases and hospitalizations have increased over the past month due to the lagging vaccination rate and the highly transmissible delta variant - which is now the most dominant strain of COVID-19 in Houston and across the country. The cancellation comes as health officials warn of an oncoming “fourth wave” of COVID-19. Last year’s pride festivities took place in the digital space, as the number of COVID-19 cases reached its peak last summer. The pride parade is the latest in a long line of Houston-area events that have been affected by the pandemic - including the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, which has been canceled for the past two years due to COVID-19.
Among these smaller events is a block party in Montrose, scheduled for Oct. Holland explained that pride events will still take place this year, but capacity would be capped at 5,000 people in order to minimize the risk of exposure to the virus.
“It’s really important from a public health perspective that we’re making sure that we’re being responsible,” said Tatiauna Holland, a representative for Pride Houston. At a Pride Houston kickoff and theme reveal party on Sunday, organizers said they planned to bring the parade back in 2022. The parade was originally pushed back to the fall last month due to permit delays caused by the pandemic. The 2021 Pride Houston parade and festival is canceled this year after the city advised against larger events due to the rise of COVID-19 cases in the region. Two festival goers holding a flag reading, “Born this Way” at the 2016 Houston LGBTQ Pride Celebration.