Houston’s LGBTQ+ community will celebrate Pride Month with a single downtown parade in 2025, following a year of competing events. Pride Houston 365 will host the city’s only official celebration on June 28, as a rival group goes quiet.
This summer, Houston's Pride celebration is set to return as a unified event after a year marked by competing parades organized by two distinct groups. Pride Houston 365, the established organizer of the annual Pride parade, is set to host its celebration on June 28. In contrast, the newer organization, Houston's New Faces of Pride, has decided against holding an event this year.
In 2024, two nonprofit organizations organized consecutive parades, resulting in divided attendance and confusion among participants. A trademark lawsuit has emerged from competing celebrations in the city, sparking public appeals for unity from Mayor John Whitmire and various City Council members.
Whitmire has reiterated his backing for a singular event scheduled for 2025. On Wednesday, spokesperson Mary Benton stated that the mayor advocates for a single parade to optimize the utilization of the city’s public safety resources and effectively manage crowds. “A single parade allows community members to come together in celebration while effectively managing the city’s finite resources, including fire, police, public works, and special events, without the burden of multiple days and routes.”
Houston's New Faces of Pride, established in 2023, attracted approximately 5,000 participants to its 2024 event. The group has remained silent in recent times. The Mayor’s Office of Special Events has confirmed that the organization has officially retracted its plans for the 2025 event. The online calendar lacks scheduled events, and founder Bryan Cotton has yet to respond to multiple inquiries.
Pride Houston 365 leaders refrained from addressing the lack of a competing parade this year, instead conveying enthusiasm for their upcoming event. President Kerry-Ann Morrison enthusiastically said, “It’s going to be an exciting celebration.” “We are pleased to have the chance to carry on with this endeavor.”
In the wake of the 2024 split, former president and current advisor Kendra Walker reported that the organization maintained its turnout levels. “She noted that there was no decline in turnout last year.”
Tens of thousands are anticipated to attend the unified event, which aims to restore the scale and tradition that have long characterized Houston’s Pride parade. Pride Houston 365 has been at the forefront of the city's LGBTQ+ celebrations for nearly fifty years, establishing itself as one of Texas's most prominent Pride events.
