Photos by Mary Claire Boucher

The annual Pride event once again drew thousands to downtown Reno Saturday to celebrate LGBTQ acceptance. 

Rainbows, bubbles, art, music and performers had attendees delighted at the parade on Virginia Street and the day-long festival at Wingfield Park.

Marching bands, local governments, theater groups, dancers, advocacy organizations and large corporations all took part in the parade.

Thousands cheered. Smiles were endless. Numerous organizations gave away candy, rainbow-colored trinkets and promotional products.

“Free mom hugs,” one sign read.

The annual event, held in Reno in July to coincide with Artown, stems from the 1969 protests after the Stonewall riots in New York City. That’s when New York police raided a bar and beat members of NYC’s queer community.

That struggle for LGBTQ acceptance, rooted in activism and protest, particularly in larger cities such as New York and San Francisco, has now spread across the country. Pride celebrations are increasingly popular. Gerlach and Winnemucca have had their own celebrations. 

“CommUNITY, not competition. There is space for all of us”

Yesterday’s Pride was Reno’s 10th celebration and continues to draw people from all over the region to the Biggest Little City.

Some were critical of the event. There were protest signs, people booing police and online commentary lambasting the presence of cops and corporations.

Event sponsors included Morrey Distributing, NV Energy, JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Anthem, Panasonic and DoorDash.

Our Town Reno reported about protest banners protesting Pride’s commercialization and association with law enforcement. 

One banner read, “No Cops, No Corps @ Pride.”

“I can’t believe it’s controversial to say a Nazi bar and more cops shouldn’t be at Pride but here we are. Disappointing,” one commenter said about yesterday’s events. 

The Nazi bar reference was referring to Shea’s Tavern, whose owner liked a racist post on Instagram. She later apologized and called it a mistake, something many disputed given what they called a history of racist incidents surrounding the bar. 

People still boycott Shea’s from that 2021 incident. The bar frequently participates in the Pride parade. 

“[It] icks me out that Tesla is still such a huge sponsor when the owner of the company now allows rampant hate speech on Twitter and famously rejected his own trans daughter,” the commenter added.

Indie-Pride alternative

Some not happy with Pride are emphasizing an indie-Pride alternative. Midtown business, Coyote Supply Co., had a smaller event yesterday from noon to 6 p.m. 

“It’s like pride but with actual queer folks vending and no cops!” the company posted online.

Northern Nevada Pride’s Instagram account responded to Coyote Supply. The Pride booth fees and parade entries keep Our Center’s doors open. Our Center is Reno’s LGBTQ community center and sponsors the Pride events.

“They help so many people in our local community. We love what you’re able to do and provide as well too! CommUNITY, not competition. There is space for all of us,” they responded to Coyote Supply on Instagram. 

That includes law enforcement. Police and sheriff’s personnel were on hand at Pride giving out candy.

During the parade, as the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office passed down Virginia Street, a man shouted from the crowd:

“Stop killing people in your jail!” he yelled. 

That statement was in reference to a number of in-custody homicides by Sheriff’s Office personnel – more than 30 since 2005, according to public records posted by the Reno Cop Watch Facebook page.

“Boo!” the man added as deputies on horses passed by.