It was colorless Sunday morning in Detroit and the streets were calm and quiet. It was so still you could hear the conversations of people a block away. The Motor City Pride parade would kick off at noon, but at 9 a.m. people were barely beginning to gather.
I had gone inside the Chrysler House and traveled up to the 23rd floor for a few hours to cover the Motor City Pride festival press conference. The panel was made up of Detroit-area LGBT leaders and representatives from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and the FIAT brand, who spoke about the importance of the Motor City Pride festival and the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for the Michigan LGBT community.
The press conference was without a doubt important, but what moved me and made me realize just how much support the LGBT community has, from people and corporations alike, was what I saw when I descended back to street level.
When I opened the door to Griswold Street, it was no longer gray. Instead, the street was filled with pride. People, cars, dogs and kids covered with color and rainbows eagerly waited to wave to the masses that gathered to see the parade.
The parade began and the specially wrapped rainbow Fiat 500X led the way as the grand marshal. Behind the Fiat 500X were FCA US employees and volunteers, showing their support and commitment to the LGBT community, followed by many other organizations, companies and groups of people who enthusiastically took part in the Motor City Pride parade.
The parade may have been short and sweet, but the message was large and blunt. Many people and corporations, like FCA US, want LGBT citizens to have the same rights and privileges as everyone else. For now, it’s up to the Supreme Court to decide.
In the meantime, it was an inspirational day witnessing the power of passion when a community comes together to shed light, and even rainbows, on an issue.
