JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Community members, advocates, allies, and LGBTQIA+ residents in Jacksonville will hold a Pride March across the Acosta Bridge on Friday, June 5.
The march aims to demonstrate solidarity, celebrate community, and protest ongoing LGBTQIA+ hate legislation and efforts to erase LGBTQIA+ identities in Florida and across the United States. The event is expected to conclude around 8:45 p.m.
The march, set to begin at 7:30 p.m. from the San Marco Skyway parking lot, serves as both a celebration of Pride Month and a public statement. Organizers said the event will affirm that LGBTQIA+ people belong, deserve equal rights, and will continue to be visible despite ongoing legislative and social challenges. “At a time when LGBTQIA+ communities continue to face attacks on their rights and identities, it is more important than ever that we come together in support, solidarity and Pride,” organizers said. “This march is an opportunity for our community to be seen, heard, and celebrated.”
The event will start at the San Marco Skyway parking lot, which is located adjacent to the Southbank entrance of the Acosta Bridge. Participants will march together across the bridge while carrying Pride flags, signs, lights, and messages of support for Jacksonville’s LGBTQIA+ community. Attendees are encouraged to wear Pride apparel and bring rainbow lights, signs, water bottles, comfortable walking shoes, friends, family members, and pets. Cold water will be available during the march. Organizers hope the march will send a clear message of resilience, visibility, and community support.
Following the march, attendees are encouraged to remain for a bridge lighting event, which is scheduled to begin at 9:00 p.m. Community members may bring chairs and gather near Friendship Fountain to view the display.
Individuals interested in participating in the bridge lighting are encouraged to register in advance. Organizers stated, “Our message remains the same: Lights or no lights, there will always be rainbows on the Acosta Bridge in June.”
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