ORLANDO, Fla. — Preparations are underway for one of the biggest events for the LGBTQ+ community in Central Florida — Come Out With Pride. 

What You Need To Know

Come Out With Pride is one of the largest LGBTQ+ community celebrations takes places annually in Orlando

This year marks the 21st anniversary of the parade, and the theme is “We the People” 

Event organizers said this year has been challenging for the LGBTQ+ community, with the recent “crosswalk controversy” where the state ordered the removal of pavement art, including the rainbow-colored crosswalk outside Pulse nightclub in Orlando

In terms of safety, the organizers say they will barricade the entire Lake Eola Park, hire private security, work with OPD to hire off-duty officers, and install metal detectors

This year marks the 21st anniversary of the parade.

“Our theme this year is ‘We the People’ and that was something that my board of directors very intentionally picked, knowing the pushback that we’re getting as a community, we really wanted to have it be a take back moment,” said Come Out with Pride Executive Director Tatiana Quiroga.

The event will feature different areas of Lake Eola Park including a family zone and two entertainment stages with activities all day starting at noon. 

“As you can see, we are literally moving into Lake Eola Park already,” Quiroga said. “So, we are getting ready for the festival that starts at noon, and then we literally take over the entire park.”

The parade will kick off at 4 p.m. and it will go down to Orange Avenue, finishing the night with fireworks at 9:30 p.m.

“Every year I feel like it’s an important year. But this year really, really is, because there’s a sense in the community of two things happening at the same time,” Quiroga said. “For tomorrow, we want to take the opportunity to really celebrate who we are while at the same time sending the message that we’re not going anywhere.”

As one of the largest pride celebrations in the southeast, Quiroga said organizers expect to see more than 230,000 people at Come Out with Pride. 

The event is made possible with the help of volunteers and sponsors, but Quiroga said this year they have lost some of the support.  

“It has been an interesting year to be able to have these conversations with corporate partners that either had their DEI initiatives cut, or the even their employee resource groups cut,” she said. “Which then that’s what ends up affecting our relationship with them.”

Quiroga said this year has been challenging for the LGBTQ+ community, with the recent “crosswalk controversy” where the state ordered the removal of pavement art, including the rainbow-colored crosswalk outside Pulse nightclub in Orlando.

“Truly the LGBTQ+ community has been under attack,” she said. “We’ve seen that over the years, especially a couple of years ago with the anti-trans legislation that was coming. So, we slowly started seeing it happening. But definitely it has been very clear this year.”

She said that even putting the banners around Lake Eola this year was a challenge.

In terms of safety for the event, Quiroga said they have taken several steps to make sure everyone is able to have a good time while being safe.  

“We barricade the entire park. We hire private security, we work with OPD, we hire off-duty officers, and we’ve got metal detectors. And so, you know, we were the home of Pulse, so worst case scenario has already happened to us,” Quiroga said.

As for the parade, event organizers say this year’s grand marshal is a special part of the community, Sister Ann Kendrick.

“When they offered me this role I thought, you know, you’re joking, you’re joking, you’re joking,” she said.

For more than 50 years, Kendrick has been an advocate for immigrants and for the LGBTQ+ community in Central Florida.

“I’m very proud, and actually very touched that the queer community would pick me for this role,” she said.

She hopes her presence in this parade can be a bridge to bring everyone together and embrace this community.

“Who is to judge? You know, and love is love,” she said.

Come Out with Pride is free to attend, and it will take place on Saturday, Oct. 18 from noon until 10 p.m.  

The city of Orlando has announced the detours, parking availability and alternative transportation options for the parade.