Thousands of people lined the streets of downtown Santa Fe and at the Plaza on Saturday for the annual Pride Parade.
Organizers say it was one of the largest and well attended parades in city history.
Several dignitaries were on hand including Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and Congresswomen Teresa Leger Fernandez to participate in the parade.
Santa Fe City Manager John Blair says as gay man he is very appreciative of how the city welcomes and honors the LGBTQ plus community.
“Things are hard for queer people right now. All across the country we are seeing homophobes and haters attack our community, that’s what they always do,” he said. “When they can’t think of policy ideas that the public will embrace they turn to demonizing and vilifying queer people. It’s not about Love is Love anymore it is that we are fighting for our right to exist as queer people. We are so lucky to live in Santa Fe, a community that embraces queer people, to live in a state that is becoming a refuge for queer people all over the country particularly trans people who are unnecessarily attacked so I couldn’t be more proud to be part of the city of Santa Fe and to live here.”
Mayor Alan Webber says Pride Day and the parade are a celebration of equal rights and the commitment to everybody in Santa Fe to being welcomed and being at home.
Lujan-Grisham says New Mexico is now the safest, most equality-based state for every person in the way it gathers data for inclusion and economic aspects in the country. She says she met with two companies on Friday who specifically asked about equality in New Mexico.
Leger Fernandez says while in Washington she often points to events like the Pride Parade as examples of how the LGBTQ-plus community should be treated nationwide.