The theme of the parade is ‘Love Without Borders.’
“It’s a celebration of inclusion and diversity. Growing up here [in Eagle Pass] I’ve seen that all my life, the inclusion and diversity between both countries, Eagle Pass and Piedras Negras, and just the love and support that the people have all around,” said SAFE Advocate Elias Diaz during the Hope-K kickoff event at the International center for Trade on Wednesday. “I want to bring that to the LGBT people; I want to extend that theme that’s already present in the Eagle Pass community and extend that to people of sexual diversity.”
Diaz went on to add that this event is not only for the LGBT faction of the community, it’s for everyone.
“It’s going to be a family-oriented event, it’s for everyone in the community, people that are not LGBT, people that are old, people that are young, this is absolutely for everyone,” said Diaz.
Diaz previously helped organize and attended an event where he delivered a heartfelt speech that moved the hundreds in attendance after the mass shooting at a nightclub in Florida.
When asked if it takes a horrific event such as the one in Florida, or the more recent mass shooting in Las Vegas last weekend to bring people together, Diaz had the following to say.
“I think that when you go through tragedies, it really reminds you of what really is important in life. We spend so much of our lives trying to identify our differences and trying to divide ourselves based on difference. In actuality we have so much more in common than we have different, and tragedies really bring out that sentiment,” said Diaz. “They help us to realize whatever you’re so angry about or whatever you have so much hatred about, it’s really not that important.”
Despite fears that the traditionally conservative community of Eagle Pass would not welcome him back, Diaz was able to find a support, as he hopes many others will.
“I had just come back from LA and it was the Pulse nightclub shootings. Coming back to Eagle Pass there was this overwhelming sentiment that this town was not accepting me, didn’t support who I was or didn’t support my identity,” said Diaz. “Then I came here and realized that there had been a group of people, my friend Lela Aleman, and Luis Ruiz who had been kind of laying down the groundwork for a movement that was already set in place. People that were already committed to making change in this community.”
The Love Without Borders parade will take place on Sunday, October 15 at 11:00 a.m. at the San Juan Plaza.