TYLER, Texas — June is national pride month. A time where members of the LGBTQ+ communities celebrate the freedom to be themselves.
For the second time in Tyler history a Pride march will be held downtown where hundreds are expected to gather.
"We're going to take everybody down Broadway to march with our flags and our signs and our pride wear," said Raynie Castañeda, organizer & director of Tyler Pride March.
One young individual is excited for the event full of games, a LGBTQ+ market, drag performances and, even a rated PG burlesque show.
"There's so many kids and when I'm here I love it," Alric Davis, a Tyler resident said. "I got ice cream and there was like ginormous game buses."
Due to recent events of mass shootings organizers have a plan to ensure it's a safe environment.
"I have been talking to a private security group about it," Castañeda said. "Just coming in plain clothes, and just being amongst the people not trying to scare nobody. If something happens we will be covered."
Organizers are expecting about 900 people to participate in the event this year. Compared to roughly 300 last year for the very first Pride event in Tyler.
"The first one was actually a response to homophobia that I had seen in a local group that had like millions of us in it," Castañeda said. "The first Pride march was a response to that. It was saying you can be homophobic all you want but we're still going to exist here."
Organizers say the LGBTQ+ community in East Texas isn’t as small as some may think. Rather it's incredibly silenced.
"We are not comfortable taking up space here," Castañeda said. "We're very afraid of being ourselves here, and so this Tyler Pride march provides to be a space for people to be boldly and unapologetically themselves. It also says that this is our town too."