Houstonians face the heat to celebrate 45th annual Pride Parade downtown

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The 45th Annual Houston Pride Parade brought fun, love, and acceptance to Downtown Houston on Saturday night.

Temperatures were hot, but that didn't stop the crowds from participating in the event.

"I mean, this is something that's a once-a-year thing, and it serves a good purpose," Ambra Sorola said on why she braved the warm temperatures. "We're here to celebrate."

There was a lot of celebration from the crowd, as well as the more than 150 groups who signed up to march in this year's parade.

Those groups included activist groups, politicians, companies, and ABC13.

Eyewitness News was the exclusive broadcast home of the parade, but employees and families from the station also marched through the streets of Downtown Houston.

"I don't know why anyone wouldn't want to be down here," ABC13 Anchor Briana Conner said. "It's just a feel-good event."

In terms of heat, the Houston Fire Department said they only had to transport two people to the hospital with heat-related issues.

Overall, attendees were just glad to spend this warm Saturday evening showing their support to the LGBTQ+ community.

"It's important for my children and family to celebrate the community," said Andrea Dean. "We in Houston accept all different kinds of people."

You can watch the 45th Pride Houston Parade as part of a special broadcast on ABC13 at 11:30 p.m. on July 1.

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