In a first, Portland’s Pride Parade marched on a July weekend
By Caden Perry
PORTLAND, Ore. July 17, 2023 3:59 p.m.
A member of the Portland Pride Grand Marshal entourage greets a mother and child on the sidewalk at Portland's Pride Parade on July 16, 2023. This year, several drag performers served as grand marshal in honor of the late Darcelle, the previous Grand Marshal, an LGBTQ+ pioneer and Portland icon who died earlier this year at 92.
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BinKyee Bellflower, left, and Sister Shiso Panda from the Portland Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence pose for a portrait at Portland's Pride Parade on July 16, 2023. "We're actually both from Malaysia, the same city, and we both moved here to Portland around the same time and then we met doing drag," said Bellflower.
Caden Perry / OPB
The Portland Dykes on Bikes chapter leads the charge in Portland's Pride Parade on July 16, 2023. Portland's Dykes on Bikes chapter has been operating since 2013 and is a mainstay of Portland Pride every year.
Caden Perry / OPB
Members of the Portland Gay Men's Chorus sing loud for the cheering crowd at Portland's Pride Parade on July 16, 2023. The Portland Gay Men's Chorus started in 1980 with 20 members to more than 125 members today.
Caden Perry / OPB
Quinn and Ellie from Richmond, Oregon giggle in joy to each other as the parade passes by in Portland's Pride Parade on July 16, 2023. Pride Northwest invited people from all over Oregon and Southwest Washington to participate in Pride events July 15 and 16.
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A crowded sidewalk waves to the Care Oregon float at Portland's Pride Parade on July 16, 2023. As the weather approached 90 degrees, many floats handed out water bottles, fans and misters to the crowd.
Caden Perry / OPB
Ash A., Tyler Nerves, Jae Siqueros, and Theo Blackman from Portland show love to the parade trucks at Portland's Pride Parade on July 16, 2023. "It's his first Pride in Portland," Ash says and points to Nerves. "This is my first Pride celebration in Portland,” said Nerves. “I really love it so far. This city puts on a very good show.”
Caden Perry / OPB
A Pride merchandise salesperson flaps a Pride fan to parade-goers on July 16, 2023. Many merchandise carts filled the empty sections of the parade, selling flags, fans, buttons and other countless Pride themed items.
Caden Perry / OPB
DJ Morgan, left, and Caeden Claeys from Corvallis, Oregon wave tiny flags to the passing cars at the Portland Pride Parade on July 16, 2023. "Happy Pride!" they exclaim as each new car comes down the Portland waterfront.
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A large Progress Pride flag is waved across the crowd in Portland's Pride Parade on July 16, 2023. The Progress Pride flag was designed by Daniel Quasar in 2018 to include trans identity colors into a previous version that added representation for BIPOC LGBTQ+ people.
Caden Perry / OPB
A crowd waits in the Chinatown district of Portland in anticipation for the next act in the Portland Pride Parade on July 16, 2023. The Portland Pride Parade is free to everyone and goes from Portland's North Park Blocks to Harvey Milk Boulevard on the waterfront.
Caden Perry / OPB
A parade-goer fans off in the middle of Portland's Chinatown district at Portland's Pride Parade on July 16, 2023. More than 170 organizations braved the heat to participate in this year's parade.
Caden Perry / OPB
Streets in downtown Portland filled with all colors of the rainbow Sunday as Pride Northwest held its 2023 Portland Pride Parade.
Weaving through the city down to its waterfront, cowboys, llamas, choirs, samba bands and people on unicycles were just a fraction of the sights to see in this year’s parade, the first time it was held in July instead of June (the traditional LGBTQ+ Pride Month). The near 90-degree heat didn’t stop more than 170 organizations from participating.
“This is my first Pride celebration in Portland,” said Tyler Nerves from Portland. “I really love it so far. This city puts on a very good show.”
Pride celebrations have been held in Portland since 1976, with Pride Northwest taking the reins since 1994.
One parade-goer said it was nice to see a positive side to things because Pride is essential to show people it’s worth it to live as their truest self.
Portland Pride will continue to be held in July for the foreseeable future, according to Pride Northwest.
