The folks on the sidelines were likewise, and the protesters were loud and clear. The participants were hugging people, handing out things, cheering, hollering, and having a great time. Overall, the vibe here was much more open and active … on BOTH sides. Isaiah and I ate at Fat Guy’s Burger Bar (it was amazing) and I dropped him back off at his place before heading home. Shortly after that, the parade was over and we started walking back. I got a quick hug, but we kept moving on. Just outside the VFW, a familiar shout caught my attention and I saw an old AT&T friend of mine. We passed right by the VFW Post, which is where Indi and I had our farewell party last April. There were hundreds of people cheering and waving, and as soon as we got in the middle of it we ran out of USCC swag quickly. When I got a good look, I slowed my pace a little. A short walk through a quiet warehouse street and we crossed over near Centennial Park and were greeted with THRONGS of people. Once we powered through that corner, they were gone. There was active booing and other derogatory remarks, but no actual projectiles. Here, we had a guy on a megaphone shouting about Matthew Shepard burning in hell and lines of supporters holding signs of scripture and sadness. Just old men frowning disapprovingly, confusion, and people deliberately ignoring the procession. We had absolutely NO protestors in Japan. As we crested the small hill past the Blue Dome District, we saw what we’d been hearing on loudspeakers for the past few blocks: protesters. It’s amazing what a keychain or frisbee will do for a kid. Cellular goodie bags and we bestowed trinkets on children throughout the parade. We crossed the tracks on Elgin Ave and past McNellie’s Pub before we started seeing decent numbers of people. The atmosphere was fun and friendly throughout.
![tulsa gay pride parade 2021 tulsa gay pride parade 2021](https://images.radio.com/aiu-media/GettyImages1325765058-54b7f6ca-00e7-492d-adef-e1f0765d461d.jpg)
We had groups from churches, other businesses, support groups, and even a contingent of Tulsa furries. The turnout was underwhelming, honestly, until we got to Centennial Park. In Tulsa, we marched through downtown, across railroad tracks, and next to run down warehouses. We had marched down the central financial district in one of the most advanced cities in the world. In Osaka, it was generally just a gathering of people bookended by an organization. There were many organizations represented in traditional parade format, quite a few of them faith based. A loud cheer went up and not long after, the procession got underway. He advised to turn the other cheek, smile, and wave. At about 7:15 the organizer got on a loudspeaker and reminded everyone that we live in Oklahoma, and there was a good chance we would run into protesters and folks being generally unpleasant. Pokemon costumes) there was a larger density of flamboyancy at this event. Japan’s culture is very conservative, and though the flamboyant folks in Japan went all out (i.e. I walked about a little and already sensed quite a difference. I watched as other groups gathered and floats arrived. So far, more than 250 such bills have been introduced in state legislatures, and 17 have been enacted into law.We met up with a few folks en route and the rest joined us closer to 7:00. This year has seen a historic number of state legislative attempts to push back on LGBTQ protections, including those covering transgender people. Harris’s emphasis on the work that needs to be done reflects the reality that LGBTQ rights are still uncertain in many states. Earlier this month he issued a proclamation recognizing June as Pride Month, vowing to fight for equality for the LGBTQ community.
![tulsa gay pride parade 2021 tulsa gay pride parade 2021](https://media.cbs8.com/assets/KFMB/images/e7249a68-e1a8-436f-a30a-2a067b4de405/e7249a68-e1a8-436f-a30a-2a067b4de405_1140x641.jpg)
Biden also reversed his predecessor’s ban on transgender people serving in the military and restored transgender health protections. One of the president’s first executive orders called for an end to discrimination on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation. The Biden-Harris administration has brought LGBTQ issues to the forefront of its agenda.
![tulsa gay pride parade 2021 tulsa gay pride parade 2021](https://www.kayak.com/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2019/05/blog-header_2021pride.jpg)
Vice President Kamala Harris with her husband, Doug Emhoff, at the Capital Pride Walk and Rally in Washington, D.C., on Saturday.