Saint Croix USVI First Pride Parade 🏳️🌈
Last weekend I was fortunate enough to attend the very first Pride Parade on Saint Croix. This event definitely marks a turning point on our little island. There have been marches before but never a parade to this scale. Compared to the other parades on Saint Croix this parade may be considered small, the parade itself lasted only about 20 minutes and traveled only about half a mile. None the less the turn out in my eyes was amazing, especially considering it was the first of its kind and the fact that it is such a controversial event.
As with any pride parade you had your protestors but the police presence was strong, other than foul statements and obscene gestiring their was no harm done throughout the entire event.
However I will say that there was one area the parade marched by, myself included since I walked with the parade the entire way, where the negative energy and hate being put off by a large group of locals towards what the parade represents was so strong it could quite literally be felt.
After the parade was over I was able to talk to others participating in the parade, we all felt it. It raised goose bumps and personally gave me one of the most powerful and uncomfortable feelings I have ever felt.
The message and energy from everyone who participated in the Pride Parade was that of love, accaeptance and equality. I know personally many of the people who organized the event and can speak first hand to the kindness of their souls. My hope is that the fact we were able to have this parade, that our government was involved in making sure it was a peaceful and safe event shows that the type of negativity found on that one particular corner is slowly but surly being diminished and that we are coming into an age of open mindedness and acceptance.
I feel proud of our island and of everyone who was able to participate in what was the first of hopefully many Pride Parades to come on Saint Croix. Love is love.
