Social, political mix at Pride Parade

Political activism blended with celebration Sunday as cheerleaders with rainbow colored pompoms, drag queens donning tiaras, men in hula skirts, or less, took to the streets of downtown Salt Lake for the annual Utah Pride Parade and Festival.

For Sue Rogers, 51, of Ogden and Karen Weaver, 51, of Layton, the parade was "awesome." So was the crowd of thousands.

The two friends had only been to Pride once, about 20 years ago, when the celebration was indoors and much, much smaller.

"It's just grown so much, I can't believe it," said Weaver. "It's great it's come this far. We shouldn't have any prejudice."

It's purely coincidental that the annual Utah Pride Parade and Festival took place just days before the Senate is expected to take up the debate on a federal constitutional amendment to prevent states from recognizing same-sex marriage.

But the issue is on the minds of many of the of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals who attended the festival, along with their straight supporters.

"It's never just social, it's never just political," said Dee Jost, 48, of Salt Lake. "It's just nice to feel like the majority, just for a day."

Jost, who's had the same lesbian partner for 15 years, was among those in line at a Human Rights Campaign booth to fill out postcards expressing their opposition to the federal amendment.

"It's already illegal," she said. "I don't see why they have to underscore it. . . . There are so many things you try to do to prepare to take care of the person you love. But there are laws."

In the wake of a statement from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reaffirming support for a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage, both of Utah's senators have been flooded with phone calls and correspondence over the past week, overwhelmingly in support of the measure. Utah Republican Sens. Bob Bennett and Orrin Hatch both support the proposed amendment. But as they prepare to debate the measure this week, they'll receive stacks of postcards from constituents with a different point of view.

"It wouldn't be right to write in something that limits people's rights, rather than expands them," said Joe Norman of Salt Lake, whose tote bag carried a sign reading "straight not narrow."

Some of those filling out the cards said they doubted they'd be be able to change their lawmakers' minds, but felt it was important to have their say anyway.

"It's such a conservative state," said Sara Simmons. "If I'm going to live here, I need to at least have a voice."

Unofficial counts for Pride Festival attendance weren't yet available late Sunday, but organizer Jere Keys said the event had grown since the previous year, when 15,000 people attended the festival.