As June marked Pride Month, communities across Alabama came together to celebrate joy, resilience, and the power of belonging. The ACLU of Alabama proudly supported Pride events across the state, and I had the opportunity to attend several celebrations firsthand. My name is Amelia Nettles, and this summer I'm serving as the communications intern with the ACLU of Alabama. As a proud Alabama native, I was excited to spend part of my internship traveling across the state to attend Pride events, documenting the celebrations and helping share the stories of Alabama's LGBTQ+ community.
While each event had its own unique energy, they all shared one common message: Pride in Alabama is more than a celebration; it’s a testament to a community that has endured, grown, and continues to fight for equality.
I attended the Shoals Pride Fest at Wilson Park in Florence, Alabama. This year's theme, "Growth,” honored the community's roots while celebrating how far the LGBTQ+ community in the Shoals has come. The festival featured live performances from local musicians and artists, a vibrant vendor market, community organizations, and delicious regional food trucks. Families, friends, and neighbors gathered, creating a welcoming space where people of all ages and backgrounds could experience authentic queer joy.
Later that evening, hundreds of miles down the road in Birmingham, Pride Weekend officially kicked off with the annual Pride in the Magic City Parade. Thousands filled the streets of the Lakeview District, transforming the neighborhood into a sea of rainbow, music, and celebration. While a small group of anti-LGBTQ+ protesters were also present, they were vastly outnumbered by a community united in love. The overwhelming message of the evening was clear– Pride belongs here.
The celebration continued the following day where I had the pleasure to I attend the 48th Annual Central Alabama Pride Fest at Linn Park in downtown Birmingham. The excitement was evident before the gates even opened, with lines stretching for blocks as attendees eagerly waited to join the festivities. Throughout the day, the festival showcased an incredible lineup of entertainment, including RuPaul's Drag Race stars India Ferrah, The Widow Von'Du, Morphine Love Dion, Hormona Lisa, Mystique Summers, and Salina EsTitties, along with a performance from The Voice Season 25 winner Asher HaVon. In addition to these nationally recognized performers, local drag queens and kings captivated audiences with unforgettable performances that highlighted the incredible talent within Alabama's own LGBTQ+ community.
The festival also featured dozens of community organizations, local businesses, vendors, food trucks, and even a dedicated kids' zone, making it a celebration that truly offered something for everyone. It was a reminder that Pride is about building community just as much as it is about celebrating identity. But Pride in Alabama is not only about celebration. It is also rooted in decades of advocacy, resistance, and progress.
For more than 30 years, the ACLU of Alabama has stood alongside LGBTQ+ Alabamians in the fight for equality. That work dates to the early 1990s, when the ACLU successfully helped the Auburn Gay and Lesbian Association secure official university recognition after Auburn University denied the group's charter. Soon afterward, the organization challenged a state law that prohibited public colleges and universities from providing funding or meeting space to LGBTQ+ student organizations.
Since then, the ACLU of Alabama has continued fighting discriminatory laws and policies that affect LGBTQ+ communities in Alabama. In 2009, the organization compelled the Franklin County School system to reverse their decision barring a lesbian student attending prom with her girlfriend; in 2012, the ACLU of Alabama advocated for incarcerated people living with HIV to have access to the same resources as other incarcerated Alabamians; and in 2018, the organization successfully challenged Alabama’s policy prohibiting gender marker changes on drivers’ licenses for trans people.
Our work to protect the rights of LGBTQ+ Alabamians continues today in the courts, in the legislature, and in community. In Alabama and across the country, proposed legislation continues to threaten the rights of LGBTQ+ people, making advocacy more necessary now than ever. That is why Pride remains both a celebration and a protest. It is a celebration of love, authenticity, and community, as well as a reminder that the rights we enjoy today were won through decades of organizing, courage, and persistence. Pride is a call to action that reminds us of the work is not yet finished.
Pride runs deep in Alabama because the people who make up this community have always been here, have always fought for one another, and are here to stay. The ACLU of Alabama will continue standing alongside LGBTQ+ Alabamians, defending their rights and working toward a future where everyone can live openly, safely, and with pride.