Bellingham Pride Festival 2017

What a gorgeous day for an estimated 10,000 people to turn out for this event! 

Today's blip shows the main stage at the post-parade Pride Festival, with two statuesque drag queens emceeing and a sign language interpreter keeping up with their banter. (There's another in the extras. I'm in awe of their ability to walk in those shoes!)

Shortly before I took this, the Rainbow City Marching Band had wrapped up the Bellingham Pride Parade in the area in front of the stage. They have a great sound, and there's nothing like a lively marching band to keep a parade moving!

I participated in the day's festivities for the first time, marching with First Congregational Church of Bellingham, my church, while waving a flag featuring rainbow-colored hearts and trying now and then to snap a photo or two.

I loved returning the smiles of the diverse crowd watching the parade from the sidewalk, many of whom were waving smaller rainbow flags and dressed in the spirit of the day. Maybe I'll be braver about my own garb next yea; this year, I was focused on not getting sunburned, so I was well-covered.

Bellingham Pride is the second largest pride event in Washington state. (Seattle has the largest.) I like what their website says: "Our goal... is to cultivate and preserve a safe and healthy community for LGBTQ+ folks and their families to live, work, grow, and thrive. We want to celebrate the diversity of human life, promote equal rights, increase the visibility of the LGBTQ+ community, and have fun doing it."

I feel blessed to live in a place where a parade and festival like this can take place without the participants being hassled or threatened -- or worse. 

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