2026 NYC Pride Guide - Magazine - Page 28
STATEOFPRIDES
ACROSS THE COUNTRY
THE LGBTQIA+ COMMUNITY - PARTICULARLY OUR TRANS AND NON-BINARY
SIBLINGS - IS UNDER ATTACK AT EVERY LEVEL OF GOVERNMENT. AROUND THE
COUNTRY, LGBTQIA+ EVENTS, SPACES, AND LANDMARKS ARE FACING GROWING POLITICAL AND CULTURAL PUSHBACK, LEADING SOME MUNICIPALITIES TO
PAUSE OR CANCEL LGBTQIA+ PRIDE EVENTS THIS YEAR.
WE SPOKE WITH A HANDFUL OF PRIDE LEADERS IN THESE MUNICIPALITIES
TO HEAR MORE ABOUT WHAT THEY ARE EXPERIENCING - AND LEARN HOW
THEY ARE NAVIGATING THESE SETBACKS TO KEEP UP THE FIGHT FOR LGBTQIA+
EQUALITY AND LIBERATION.
Arlington, Texas
In 2022, the Arlington, TX City Council was debating whether or not to issue a Pride Month proclamation. That
debate alone sent a clear message: LGBTQ+ people in Arlington were not being fully seen or affirmed by their own
local government. Local organizers knew they needed to respond—not just with words, but with presence. And with
that, Arlington Pride was created. Organizers welcomed more than 1,000 guests to the inaugural Arlington Pride, and
the event grew rapidly: by 2025, the event drew more than 15,000 attendees. But that same year, the Arlington City
Council voted to suspend its Anti-Discrimination Ordinance (ADO), leading to the removal of sexual orientation and
gender identity from the list of protected classes. At that point, Pride organizers knew it was no longer appropriate to
hold a celebration of inclusion in a city actively rolling back civil rights protections. But Arlington Pride has not curled
up and gone into hiding. They were galvanized by the swift and emotional response from the local community - not
just from LGBTQIA+ residents, but allies, business owners, and neighboring cities offering their support - and knew
there was still a need for this symbol of inclusion and progress. The team is actively planning for 2026. And though
they are prepared to continue the work elsewhere, they want to bring Arlington Pride home.
“OUR PRIDE EVENT WILL COME BACK. THE ONLY QUESTION IS WHETHER ARLINGTON
CHOOSES TO BE PART OF THAT FUTURE.”
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FOR ALL OF US
