With a high temperature of 96 degrees in Fresno and a blaring sun, thousands of people gathered in the Tower District to watch and participate in the 2025 Pride Parade on June 7.
The parade started at 10 a.m., with shuttle services offered at Fresno City College due to limited parking. Because of the heat, water, cooling stations and nurses were available throughout the parade.
Bryan Esparza is the president of Rainbow Pride, the organization that puts together the event every year. He estimated that approximately 22,000 people attended the parade.
“In the parade, we have 100 entries, which comprise about 2,500 people,” Esparza said. “Fresno Unified alone has 1,000 students here.”
Esparza said that, after every Pride Parade, the team has three weeks off, then it’s back to planning for the next year.
Among the dozens of participants in the procession was Rep. Jim Costa, who said that he hasn’t missed a Pride Parade in many years.
“It’s important that we recognize all the incredible, valuable members of our community,” Costa said.
Costa explained that these individuals make a difference every day, and he is glad to be celebrating them.
People from all walks of life attended the parade, including adults, children, various local organizations and religious figures. One of them was Nelson Serrano, the Latino missioner for St. James Episcopal Cathedral and the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin. Serrano said that he attended the parade to preach love.
“Everybody is a beloved child of God, and that’s their way to show it,” Serrano said. “In our history, we had divisions based on gender, sexual orientation and everything, but we [have] to realize that God loves everybody.”
Samantha Haynes brought her three children to the parade, who were waving pride flags and shouting “happy Pride” to passersby. Haynes explained that she has a “queer family,” so she wanted to expose her children to the event.
“It’s not something they need to be protected from,” Haynes said. “It’s part of life and part of who we are and it’s part of who they are.”
Some people disagree with bringing children to pride parades due to the possible sexual nature of the events, but there were dozens of children present at Saturday’s parade.
One of them is nine-year-old Tilly Haynes, who told The Collegian that her dad is transgender, so she wanted to come and support Pride.
“We’re celebrating Pride for the ones who are different than others,” Tilly said.
Simon Haynes, her 10-year-old brother, shared a similar sentiment.
“I just feel like it’s a good time to make friends and be able to enjoy your time without anyone hurting your feelings,” Simon said. “I really feel really happy.”
Fresno State chair of Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies, Larissa Mercado, was also showing her support at the parade.
“I thought it was important that we come out and show our support for LGBTQ communities as a department and also let the community know that Fresno State has a major and a minor in LGBTQ,” Mercado said.
Mercado said that she wants Fresno State students to know that the campus is a safe space for them to learn about the LGBTQ+ community.
While there were officers patrolling the area for safety, no tensions or counter-protests occurred. The month of June is dedicated to Pride, with many organizations and campuses switching to rainbow colors and raising Pride flags in solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community.
