One Year Later: Looking Forward by Looking Back

June 26 of 2015 to Pride 2016 is (essentially) a year.

And it’s been quite a year, hasn’t it?

When Obergefell v. Hodges overturned the ban on same-sex marriage placed by Baker v. Nelson, Pride coincided exactly on the day — and magic happened.

If you don’t know what I mean, here it is a little clearer: A monumental civil rights law for the gay community in history was passed — gay marriage was made legal.

Then everyone boogied.

Let me remind you just how large last year’s Denver PrideFest was.

When gay marriage was legalized, thousands came to celebrate and cheer and love on Colfax.

Last year’s PrideFest added to a historic annual event with an estimated 200,000 people attending.

And this year will overcome that.

Not only does this year mark the 40th anniversary of Denver PrideFest, it marks the first march after a year of legal marriage and expression.

In fact, the GLBT Community Center of Colorado advertizes “more than 350,000 people from across Colorado and the Rocky Mountain region will be here for one of Colorado’s top festivals.”

They invite you to join them as they celebrate the rich history of Colorado’s LGBT community and the spirit that makes the Mile High City great.

And we will make it great.

Overcoming a year of ups and downs for the LGBT community gives us the right to show our pride and parade about as if we’d won the Superbowl and legalized gay marriage on the same day. And let’s face it: If the Broncos parade is an indication of anything, it’s that we’ve got plenty to be proud of, and we like to show it.

So, before marching, take a moment to look both back and forward.

Between last year and this year, plenty has happened and it shows us the battle is not over. For instance, a homophobic presidential nominee has gobbled up the nomination; the White House got a transgender bathroom; there’s been a constant fight about just who can use the bathroom and who can’t; an Olympic athlete came out as a woman; and we even inspired other countries to follow our ways such as Ireland and Colombia.

If these are an indication of anything, it’s that between last PrideFest and this upcoming one, things have been in flux.

They show us that there is a battle and pride to be shown.

We will parade to show our pride by looking back and looking forward, to show that after all is said and done, love wins.