Dozens of people gathered to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community by having its first Pride parade in Miami Shores Village.
Miami Shores partnered with SAVE Dade which is a part of the SAVE Foundation recognized as South Florida’s longest-serving organization dedicated to protecting people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer against discrimination.
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WATCH HERE“Miami Shores has the second largest LGBTQ population per capita in the state of Florida," Miami Shores Councilwoman Crystal Wagner said.
The parade started at 4 p.m. on Sunday and started at Northeast 96th Street which proceeded towards Grand Concourse for a celebration featuring a DJ, drag queens, and live musical performances.
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“Miami Shores has had a very challenging history of acceptance. I mean that’s basically it. They’ve tried many years ago a previous mayor hung a Pride flag and it caused a lot of controversy for unknown reasons," Paul Thomas an organizer and attendee said.
This is an event that advocates said is necessary to have in Florida because LGBTQ+ rights are under attack.
"We are here for the whole community, we can only succeed when we are all unified around supporting everyone," Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said.
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We love our diversity, we love our inclusivity, and we are going to keep on that path. Making sure everyone has the opportunity to live their lives fully," she said.
Some proceeds from Miami Shores will go to the Point Foundation which is the largest scholarship-granting nonprofit for LGBTQ students.
“It's very important to me as a queer person of color there’s often very much limited support so we have access to it," Jahn Jeramillo who was awarded a scholarship said.
Organizers and participants are calling the inaugural celebration historic.
