Utah Pride celebrations continue amid Fidelity Month proclamation
Utah’s largest Pride flag drapes over the Utah Capitol grounds. Captured June 6. James Gordon
After Gov. Spencer Cox designated June as Fidelity Month rather than Pride Month, thousands traveled to Salt Lake City for a week of Pride celebrations, culminating in events that drew attendees from across Utah.
June is recognized as Pride Month, an annual observance of LGBTQ+ people, history, culture, and community. It often serves as a time to recognize LGBTQ+ visibility, acceptance and representation.
Cox first recognized Pride Month in 2021; however, this year's proclamation comes amid renewed discussion about LGBTQ+ issues in Utah.
The event was organized by Utah Pride, but drew a range of LGBTQ+ supporters and organizations to observe Pride Month through the Utah Pride festival, a rally down N State Street and a Pride-themed parade that attracted thousands.
The Utah Pride festival kicked off with a Pride flag raising ceremony at the Salt Lake City and County Building on June 3.
Flags were a common symbol waved throughout the weekend celebration, decorating downtown Salt Lake in a sea of colors, each flag representing a different community or vision of the LGBTQ+ community.
This year, many Pride flags featured the Sego Lily, a symbol of Salt Lake City that was added to many Pride flags, making them official city flags — preventing them from a new law banning “non-sanctioned” flags at government buildings.
The traditional rainbow flag was a dominant variation. On June 6, Utah’s largest Pride flag, the traditional rainbow flag design, covered the front sidewalk entrance to the Utah State Capitol.
At 10 a.m., speakers addressed a crowd of LGBTQ+ supporters and community members, speaking on topics surrounding Pride and personal experiences.
Among those speakers was Chad Call, Utah Pride executive director, who spoke for about six minutes reflecting the meaning behind Pride.
“When people look at Pride, they often see a parade, or festival, or a sea of rainbow flags, and they’re not wrong, those things happen,” Call said. “In its truest sense, [Pride] doesn’t happen because of permits being filed with the city, or state, or entertainment main events being scheduled, or even sponsors supporting the event. And it certainly doesn’t happen because of certain elected officials declaring to be so.”
A week before the Pride event, Cox quietly tucked a declaration under the governor’s website, deeming the month of June Fidelity Month.
Although the declaration doesn’t change how Pride is celebrated, it hints at a shift in Cox’s stance on LGBTQ+ issues — a stark change since he encouraged Utahns to be inclusive of LGBTQ+ members of the community in prior years, and his declaration of Pride Month back in 2023.
This declaration met opposition online. Project Rainbow, a nonprofit that aims to empower LGBTQ+ people in Utah, published a statement responding to Cox’s declaration. “It’s disappointing that a governor who makes ‘disagree better’ his calling card is so openly dismissive of perspectives other than his own,” they said in their statement.
Project Rainbow added that Pride Month is meant to serve as a time to uplift “marginalized folks” and give them the resources needed to survive and thrive in spaces.
Some attendees throughout this year’s Utah Pride celebration carried signs protesting Cox’s new declaration.
Call made few political remarks in speech, and said this year’s Pride Month is about building community.
“In the end, it’s people wanting to belong, people looking for connection, people wanting to know that they matter,” Call said. “And the truth is, every one of us here today is standing on a foundation built by someone else. A foundation that was built together as a community.”
Attendees listened to speeches for nearly an hour before the crowd raised the Utah Pride flag, draped across the capitol lawn, over their heads and marched it down N State Street to the Salt Lake City and County Building.
As people marched, they made chants for LGBTQ+ awareness and chants protesting Cox and President Donald Trump.
After people arrived at the Salt Lake City and County Building, where the festival was located, people celebrated the event by stopping at booths and food trucks while live music played throughout the day.
On June 7, officials blocked off 100 S. West Temple St. for the annual Utah Pride Parade. The parade began at 10 a.m.; it was free to attend and lasted for a couple hours.
People lined the streets and watched as LGBTQ+ businesses and organizations across Utah lined the street with floats, decorating the street in rainbow.
After the parade, the event continued at the festival grounds, closing this year’s annual Utah Pride celebration.
“For decades, people in this state have decided to show up for each other, not just in June and not just for a Pride celebration,” Call said. “They showed up when they were celebrated and when they were criticized, when they had hope in their eyes and when they had fear in their eyes. And our community has always shown up for each other.”
Photos captured during the Utah Pride Festival, Parade, and Rally on June 6 and 7. James Gordon
Participants wave flags as they march down 100 S West Temple Street for the annual Utah Pride parade in Salt Lake City on June 7.
Parade participants begin their march downtown in the annual Utah Pride parade on June 7.
A spectator decorated in Pride colors watches as Chad Call gives their speech June 6.
A chant leader guides attendees carrying a Pride flag down N State Street on June 6.
A motorcyclist with a Pride-themed motorcycle, drives with participants at the Utah Pride parade on June 7.
As floats past parade goers, attendees wave Pride flags on June 7; Crowds line downtown during Utah’s Pride parade on June 7.
A marching band marches through downtown Salt Lake City during the Utah Pride Parade on June 7.
A spectator watches as festival goers line up, preparing to march Utah’s largest Pride flag to the Utah Pride Festival on June 6.
A crowd march N State Street as they raise Utah’s largest Pride Flag on June 6.
The Utah Pride Festival kicks off at the Salt Lake City and County Building.
People walk through booths at Utah Pride Festival hosted on the Salt Lake City and County Building grounds on June 6.
People wave LGBTQ+ flags in the Utah Pride parade on June 7.
A person waves a Pride flag as a live band marches in the Utah Pride parade. on June 7.