Record turnout for Anchorage Pride Parade, organizers say [Video]

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – It’s the largest Pride Parade ever in Anchorage since the tradition began in the late 1970s, said JJ Harrier, the Anchorage Pride Parade Program Manager of Saturday’s parade.

Fifty groups, consisting of more than 900 people, circled downtown streets during the parade and other planned events. Hundreds of people cheered on the sidelines, waving rainbow flags.

“Everybody knows somebody who’s gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans Anchorage,” Harrier said. “Pride is a time to celebrate them and their place in our community and inhabit a time and remember that we live in a diverse culture here in Anchorage in Alaska.”

Harrier said it fills his heart to see so many people on the sidelines and marching down the street celebrating Pride. The immense participation, he said, shows how much support around the LGBTQ+ community has grown since the parade started nearly five decades ago.

“The first parade was …