Weather Doesn’t Stop PRIDE

Charles Parziale, staff writer

Music, style, people, and lots of courage. There was plenty of this at Charlottesville Pride on the weekend of Sept. 14. It was a great time to get together with friends and  enjoy a healthy, accepting atmosphere where you could dance, sing and get along with everyone.

Walking around, there were plenty of stands with gifts, art, garb, and snacks. Some of them were handing out brochures with useful and helpful information. Along with that, there were plenty of food trucks selling amazing home-style dishes that were made on the spot! With the amazing location of the Downtown Mall, there was also an abundance of other restaurants and shops to go to while participating in the pride festival.

The most courageous thing I saw at the pride festival was Drag, when someone dresses in a way to express another gender or sexuality and then perform for an audience, lip sync and dance. The amount of courage they have to do what so many people would not do, or are afraid to do, is phenomenal.

The experience of pride was unique. You could feel the love in the air. No one judging another for who they love.

Anyone can find acceptance at PRIDE. I hope to see you there next time.