OutInform: Houston Pride Guide 2015 Issue | Page 6

LETTER

from the PRESIDENT
This has been a groundbreaking year
for Pride Houston® and the LGBT
Community, which makes this Pride
season particularly special.

Frankie Quijano is President of the Board and CEO of Pride
Houston, Inc. Pride is a registered 501(c)3 organization
commissioned with enriching the lives
of the Houston LGBT community.

As of this writing same-sex marriage
equality is in the hands of the Supreme
Court of the United States, with an
imminent ruling in June 2015 on one of
the greatest civil rights issues of our
generation. Last fall the Houston Equal
Rights Ordinance (HERO), not without
its own challenges, was passed and
recently enacted to provide protection
against discrimination in the workplace
as well as other areas. And of course,
The Houston LGBT Pride Celebration®
moved from its previous location along
Westheimer Road in Montrose to
Downtown Houston this year.
Montrose will always be the heart of
the local LBGT community, but the soul
of the parade still remains with the
more than 425,000 people who come
together to celebrate the fourth largest
Pride in America. Our expansion allows
for even more participation from the
growing and diverse Greater Houston
population. Already this year will boast
more organizations and entries than ever
before. The LGBT community stretches
far and wide and all the way up to City
Hall.
Amidst the change it’s easy to forget why
we still hold The Houston LGBT Pride
Celebration®. Pride events continue
to offer a safe place to come together
and “be ourselves” —a privilege that
is still not available in some families,
communities and countries where LGBT
people continue to live in fear. We are
also proud to still be able to keep the
festival free to everyone thanks to our
sponsorships and contributions from the
community.

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OUTINFORM

pridehouston.org

Barriers have been broken but many
more still remain. That’s why Pride
Houston continues to support local
LBGT organizations whose work impacts
the lives of thousands of Houstonians.
Through fundraising at Pride events,
we were able to distribute over $28,000
dollars last year and hope to raise even
more this year. For us, Pride is yearround and never over.
Our theme this year—chosen by popular
vote— is ‘HEROES’ and we can’t think
of a better way to celebrate all the
heroes of pride who have gotten us to
this pivotal moment. That includes all
of this year’s Grand Marshals who have
done extraordinary work to improve our
community.
On a personal note, I’d like to thank all
the teams of dedicated volunteers who
have been working diligently all year to
produce this amazing event. They are
our heroes this week. If you see a Pride
volunteer be sure to thank them for their
efforts.
We hope you enjoy all the new amenities
and benefits of our new location. On
behalf of the Committee Chairs,
Committee Members, Volunteers, the
Board of Directors and Pride Houston®,
I wish to welcome you all to the 37th
Houston LGBT Pride Celebration®,
presented by Bud Light

Frankie Quijano
CEO & President of the Board
Pride Houston, Inc.