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Montgomery Pride United led pride organizations across the state to march on the Alabama capitol Saturday for the ninth consecutive year.
Jose Vazquez, a leader of Montgomery Pride United, said the march and rally feel as urgent as ever this year as state lawmakers continue to focus on anti-LGBTQ+ bills.
“We talk about the people we’ve lost in our community to suicide and homicide, and our legislature really isn’t making it any better,” Vazquez said. “We’re here to remind the legislature that we belong in Alabama.”
Alabama lawmakers have already announced several anti-LGBTQ+ bills for the upcoming session, particularly anti-transgender legislation.
House Bill 4 by Rep. Arnold Mooney, R-Indian Springs, injects gender expression into the definition of “harmful to minors.” The original version of the bill was targeted at drag shows in public spaces like libraries, but has morphed into a bill more focused on allowing books to be challenged in libraries. The bill would allow librarians to be charged with misdemeanors if they fail to move or remove a book that a citizen alleges is “harmful to minors.” Book challenges across the state have focused on LGBTQ+ content as inappropriate for minors.
Rep. Susan DuBose, R-Hoover, has not pre-filed any bills yet but has announced her intentions to bring back several of her bills that failed in the last session.
One such bill would define sex-based terms in Alabama law to exclude transgender individuals from those definitions. DuBose has argued that the definitions would protect cisgender women in private same-sex spaces.
Rep. Mack Butler, R- Rainbow City, is expected to bring back his bill that would expand Alabama’s prohibition on discussion or instruction of gender identity or sexual orientation on school grounds through 12th grade. The bill originally set out to extend the ban through 12th grade, but was amended last session to stop at 8th grade. It is unclear what the bill will look like when it returns.
Vazquez said that many pride organizations across the state host parades and festivals, but Montgomery United is the only one that leads a march.
“Pride started as a protest and we need to remember that legacy,” Vazquez said. “I think a lot of people think that the election is what decides the future for impacted groups in this state, but we’re targeted by our legislature regardless of the national election. We need to remind people of that.”
The parade will continue to take place in October moving forward to celebrate LGBTQ+ history month, and to beat the Alabama heat that would be in full force during pride month in June.
Senate Bill 5 by Sen. Chris Elliott, R-Josephine, doesn’t nominally have anything to do with LGBTQ+ issues; it seeks to reconstitute the board of the Department of Archives and History. But the bill is an answer to the department daring to have a one-hour program featuring the discussion of LGBTQ+ history and archiving in the state. Elliott has gone on the record about his frustrations with he department failing to cancel the event at his bequest.
Vazquez said he does not believe the legislature will stop with the LGBTQ+ community.
“I think we’re the canary in the coal mine,” Vazquez said. “They want to limit the rights of all Alabamians.”
