What to expect during the Twin Cities Pride Festival, according to the Pride guide

 What to expect during the Twin Cities Pride Festival, according to the Pride guide

 As the LGBTQ+ community comes together to celebrate their accomplishments and one another, as well as to protest Friday's historic Supreme Court decision and a nationwide uptick in attacks against their rights and identity, this year's Pride celebrations are expected to be among the most significant in recent memory.

There is much to celebrate, to start with. The Twin Cities Pride Festival celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, and this year marks the festival's return to full strength after two years of scaled-back events due to the COVID-19 epidemic and the cancellation of the 2020 edition.

Felix Foster, the chair of the Twin Cities Pride Board, said that more than 400,000 people attended the event in 2015, which coincided with the Supreme Court's Obergefell ruling, which legalised homosexual marriage. He anticipates similar figures this year.

"We share the enthusiasm that individuals have for returning to Pride events.

We hope for a similar turnout this year as well, especially now that Pride is back in full gear "In a statement, he said.

The Supreme Court is once again a feature in this year's event, giving it more significance. There has been an increase in homophobic discourse in recent months, and it has started to escalate into acts of violence. Then came Friday's decision to overturn Roe V. Wade, which was accompanied by Justice Clarence Thomas' concurring opinion urging the court to next consider overturning Obergefell.

"It can seem as though our progress has been reversed since there are so many unknowns regarding what will occur after this historic error. For fifty years, we have fought for the right to exist. People who want to oppress us shouldn't be able to silence our community. There is no question about our existence "Following the decision, Ned Butler, the policy chair of the Twin Cities Pride Board of Directors, released a statement.

The theme for this year's pride, Past, Present, Future, seems even more pertinent in light of the present situation. Foster added, "We choose this theme to recall the roots of Pride as a protest, every advancement achieved since then, and to emphasise the future generations of Twin Cities Pride.

In light of the decision, Butler advised festival-goers to show extra kindness to one another this weekend, adding, "Many people have already spoken their justifiable rage and real anguish in response to the Supreme Court of the United States' judgement. Given how many people today's events have affected, we are reminded to practise kindness and intersectional care."

Here is a list of the major Pride-related activities happening this weekend in the Twin Cities.