ROANOKE, Va. – The annual Roanoke Pride March was held in Downtown Roanoke on Saturday.
The event featured plenty of participants who marched from Elmwood Art Walk to Historic Market Square with customized signs, flags, and banners.
The event was sponsored by the Roanoke Diversity Center. City Councilman Peter Volosin and Roanoke Mayor Joe Cobb were also in attendance.
The march also doubled as a protest, as marchers looked to spread the message of LGBTQ acceptance, helping members of the community feel like they are welcome within Roanoke.
According to the Roanoke Diversity Center, Pride Month has not yet been nationally recognized this year.
“About 10% of the population identifies as LGBT+, so we want to make sure that we make our voices heard and that we celebrate our joy and our resilience as people,” Volosin said. “We want Roanokers and other people to feel happy being our authentic selves and we want to stay that way.”
Marissa Yi, Vice President of the Roanoke Diversity Center, also pointed out that there are plenty of local resources available for those within the LGBTQ community, such as the Roanoke Diversity Center and Southwest Virginia Pride.
