'Be proud': Birmingham celebrates Pride Week with festival encouraging people to be who they are

UPDATES AS WE GET THEM. WELL, A SEA OF RAINBOWS FILLED DOWNTOWN BIRMINGHAM TO CELEBRATE PRIDE MONTH. THANKS SO MUCH FOR JOINING US HERE AT 10:00. I’M JARVIS ROBERTSON. �� THIRTEEN’S AARON LLEWELLYN TAKES US INSIDE THE EVENT AND SHARES WHY PEOPLE ARE PROUD TO BE A PART OF THE COMMUNITY. FOR SOME, IT’S A CELEBRATION OF CULTURE. I THINK BIRMINGHAM IS KIND OF SET THE STANDARD FOR WHAT PRIDE SHOULD BE IN ALABAMA. AND FOR OTHERS, IT’S ABOUT SHOWING UP FOR THE COMMUNITY. IT ALLOWS US TO NOT ONLY SHOW THEM THAT, LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE Y’ALL, BUT IT SHOWS THEM, YOU KNOW, THEM SHOWING US THAT THEY HAVE US. RICKY SLAYTON MOVED FROM MOBILE TO THE MAGIC CITY FOUR YEARS AGO, AND IS PROUD TO SEE THE GROWTH OF BIRMINGHAM’S PRIDE FEST. EVERYBODY SHOWS UP. THEY SUPPORT EACH OTHER. THE VENDORS HAVE GROWN. THE VENUE IS GREAT, THE THE, THE SCENE, THE COMMUNITY HERE, LIKE, EMBRACES EVERYBODY, INCLUDING ALLIES LIKE BRIANNA BRYANT AND TAYLOR SMITH. PRIDE MONTH IS FOR ALL PRIDE, LIKE NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, A CERTAIN GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO CLASSIFY AS CERTAIN THINGS, BUT LIKE, WE CAN CELEBRATE PRIDE MONTH TOO, EVEN WITH BEING STRAIGHT FOR BRYANT. THAT’S WHY IT’S IMPORTANT TO BE AN ALLY. MAKING SURE THAT THEY KNOW THAT LIKE NO MATTER WHAT STRUGGLES THEY GO THROUGH, THAT WE’RE GOING THROUGH IT WITH THEM AS WELL. BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, LOVE IS LOVE NO MATTER WHAT PEOPLE CLASSIFY IT AS, THEY’RE ALLOWED TO LOVE WHO THEY LOVE, JUST LIKE WE’RE ALLOWED TO LOVE WHO WE LOVE, ENCOURAGING OTHERS TO BE WHO THEY ARE. HAVING PRIDE. BE PROUD OF WHO YOU ARE. LIVE LIFE EVERY DAY THE WAY YOU WANT TO, AND NOT BY WHO OTHERS THINK YOU SHOULD. LIVE LIFE. LIVE LIFE THE WAY YOU WANT TO, THE WAY YOU SHOULD LIVE LIFE.

Updated: 10:16 PM CDT Jun 15, 2025

Editorial Standards ��

'Be proud': Birmingham celebrates Pride Week with festival encouraging people to be who they are

Updated: 10:16 PM CDT Jun 15, 2025

Editorial Standards ��

A sea of rainbows filled downtown Birmingham to celebrate Pride Month on Sunday. Linn Park was the home of Pride Week’s culminating event PrideFest.The event featured vendors, live music and stars from the popular television show "RuPaul’s Drag Race." Most importantly, though, festival goers feel PrideFest is about celebrating community, joy and being proud of who you are �� something one attendee told �� 13 wasn’t always easy for him.“There are a lot of people that are not comfortable with who they are right now, and that leads to a lot of bad stuff,�� Rickey Slayton said. “I used to be that person, so coming from that background, I understand. It’s OK to be who you are. Be proud about who you are.”Other people felt it was important for them to attend PrideFest to show up for the community.“It allows us to be part not only to show them that we have y’all, but it shows us that they have us,�� LGBTQIA+ ally Jaibriana Bryant said.As allies, Bryant and her friend Taylor Smith, who attended the event with a friend who identifies as LGBTQIA+ feel PrideFest is an event for everyone and should be experienced by everyone.“Pride Month is for all pride,�� Taylor Smith, an LGBTQIA+ ally, said, “not just a certain group of people who classify as for certain things. We can celebrate Pride Month, too, even with being straight, it really is a great environment. Everyone that I ran into today has been so kind and so sweet. Very nice.”There were events throughout the past week to celebrate Pride Week. Some of those included a community worship services, a Birmingham Barons game and a hike at Oak Mountain State Park.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. —

A sea of rainbows filled downtown Birmingham to celebrate Pride Month on Sunday. Linn Park was the home of Pride Week’s culminating event PrideFest.

The event featured vendors, live music and stars from the popular television show "RuPaul’s Drag Race." Most importantly, though, festival goers feel PrideFest is about celebrating community, joy and being proud of who you are �� something one attendee told �� 13 wasn’t always easy for him.

“There are a lot of people that are not comfortable with who they are right now, and that leads to a lot of bad stuff,�� Rickey Slayton said. “I used to be that person, so coming from that background, I understand. It’s OK to be who you are. Be proud about who you are.��

Other people felt it was important for them to attend PrideFest to show up for the community.

“It allows us to be part not only to show them that we have y’all, but it shows us that they have us,�� LGBTQIA+ ally Jaibriana Bryant said.

As allies, Bryant and her friend Taylor Smith, who attended the event with a friend who identifies as LGBTQIA+ feel PrideFest is an event for everyone and should be experienced by everyone.

“Pride Month is for all pride,�� Taylor Smith, an LGBTQIA+ ally, said, “not just a certain group of people who classify as for certain things. We can celebrate Pride Month, too, even with being straight, it really is a great environment. Everyone that I ran into today has been so kind and so sweet. Very nice.��

There were events throughout the past week to celebrate Pride Week. Some of those included a community worship services, a Birmingham Barons game and a hike at Oak Mountain State Park.

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'Be proud': Birmingham celebrates Pride Week with festival encouraging people to be who they are

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