The FM Pride Parade Connects People from All Walks of Life and Celebrates Love

"It doesn't matter where you come from, what you look like, who you are, who you love, who you vote for, it doesn't matter we're all human"

FARGO, N.D. — Pride celebrations have taken over the metro and the week ended with their annual parade.

KVRR’s Jessie Cohen tells us what the festivities mean to many people in the community.

“It doesn’t matter where you come from, what you look like, who you are, who you love, who you vote for, it doesn’t matter we’re all human,” said Kristen Soule, who is celebrating pride.

It’s one week each year, where people in the valley get to express their personal pride.

“There was a lot of love in the community and you know the more polarized our world gets, the more the LGBTQIA community comes together,” said Mara Wessel, the Grand Marshal of the Pride Parade.

“For us to be out here and just support everybody it just means a lot to us because sometimes at home it’s not the best or at school, so just being out here and seeing different people support us, it’s everything to us,” said Toby Sanders, with The Demonic Royal Family

As people in the streets chanted and many scooped up treats, other’s embodied their first pride experience.

“Because I’m from a small town, you have to kind of hide who you are and so coming to Fargo and getting to be open and who I am, it’s just freeing, it’s wonderful,” said Emily Tillma, who is celebrating pride.

“I’ve never been any more happy, this is the happiest I’ve ever been in my entire life. I’ve never felt so free in my entire life” said some celebrators.

Those who put together FM pride say it’s about celebrating LGBTQ+…

“It’s about community. It’s about celebrating how far we’ve come and how far we have yet to go,” Soule said.

But it’s also about the supporters, different ethnicities and organizations.

“Pride isn’t all about just being gay or transgender or being a lesbian, pride is about love so it doesn’t matter whether you’re straight, gay, bisexual, pansexual, transgender, it doesn’t matter, pride is about being prideful in who you love,” Wessel said.

Once the parade was over, people reminisced…

“This was really amazing to just see all of the support and everyone out here having fun and having a great time and just living life,” Tillma said.

But the festivities didn’t end on Broadway…

“Any chance you get educated somebody because you know that’s the only way we are going to move forward. Continue to show people what love looks like no matter who you are, what you believe, love is love, right. wooooooowooooo,” Wessel said.