“We are fortunate to live in a community where leadership stands by everyone in the community.” -

— LGBTQ+ Task Force chair Diana Maurer

Hundreds turned out to Market Square for the 7th annual Alexandria Pride Fair as city leaders unveiled a Pride wrapped DASH bus and a rainbow crosswalk on the street in front of City Hall.

The June 1 LGBTQ+ festival kicked off Pride month and included a Drag Story Hour inside the lobby of City Hall.

"More than anything, Pride is a celebration. It is a celebration of our community," said Mayor Justin Wilson. "It is a celebration of the fact that the LGBTQ+ community is an integral part of Alexandria. It is a celebration that the rich tapestry of Alexandria is incomplete without the LGBTQ+ community. We celebrate that in Pride and we celebrate that all year long."

Visitors crowded City Hall to attend the popular Drag Story Hour. Outside attendees collected Pride freebies, enjoyed live music and food, created art, posed for Pride pictures, and learned about LGBTQ+ inclusive services in Alexandria. Free and confidential services were also provided, including confidential HIV testing, mental health and other healthcare resources.

The city debuted rainbow crosswalks at the event, located at the intersection of Royal and King streets, while the Alexandria Transit Company (DASH) unveiled its first Pride-wrapped bus.

Wilson read a proclamation praising the work of the LGBTQ+ Task Force and noted the work of advocates in the fight for equality in the city’s history.

“It was 38 years ago that Alexandria became the first community in the Commonwealth of Virginia to include gay and lesbians in our human rights ordinance,” Wilson said.

According to the city’s website, the goal of the Task Force, established in 2007, is “to create safe and inclusive service provisions in the city that affirms a person’s sexual orientation and gender identity.”

Said Diana Maurer, chair of the LGBTQ+ task force, “We are fortunate to live in a community where leadership stands by everyone in the community.”

For more information about the City’s LGBTQ+ Task Force and resources, visit alexandriava.gov/LGBTQ.