Description: Pride Parade supporting inclusivity and public recognition to remind our LGBTQIA+ youth that they are safe, they are loved, and they are not alone.
Safe Spaces
Follow Us Our Mission At the Springfield Pride Parade, we walk together in a community-driven movement of support, inclusivity, and public recognition to remind our LGBTQIA+ youth that they are safe, they are loved, and they are not alone.
I am Taurean Bethea, in 2017 a hate comment was posted on social media about my assumed sexual orientation, “why doesn’t he just come out?” At the time, I was a closeted gay black male, not because of shame, but because coming out as a gay black male can be life threatening, even in the 21st century. However, that comment resonated with me, and I thought about the young kids, our future, who were committing suicide or slipping into depression because of public bullying.