Dallas officials raise Pride flag at City Hall; parade grand marshals named

Dallas City Hall hosted a Pride flag-raising ceremony that combined a land acknowledgment, civic remarks and event announcements, culminating in plans for a Cedar Springs parade this fall.

Councilmember Omar Narvaez (District 6) opened by thanking the speaker who read a land acknowledgment and by reflecting on his eight years on the council. "We've won our rights. We're not all the way there yet, and we're not going back," Narvaez said, framing Pride as both protest and celebration amid national and state-level pressures he described as threats to LGBTQ+ rights.

Tina Schultz, assistant chief of the Dallas Police Department, acknowledged past shortcomings in policing toward LGBTQ+ residents and said the department would work to strengthen trust. "We recognize that mistrust does remain, but we are committed to the ongoing work of strengthening the trust within our community," Schultz said, and she thanked liaison officers Leah and Megan for their outreach work.

Councilmember Donnell Willis (District 13) read a proclamation the city council adopted on May 12, 2021, that recognizes June as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month and directs the city manager to fly a Pride flag bearing the City of Dallas seal at City Hall Plaza and other city-operated facilities during June annually. Willis said the proclamation underscores the city’s commitment to "visibility, dignity, and equity for all people in the community."

Councilmember Chad West (District 1) described the economic, cultural and human-rights reasons for celebrating Pride and encouraged residents and businesses to participate in events across the month. "These kind of events are important for [younger people] to see how important it is for us to celebrate diversity and celebrate ourselves," West said.

Vincent "Vinny" DeLuna, executive director of Pride in Dallas, and board president Betty Neal announced the parade theme for 2025—"United in love and bound by pride"—and named two grand marshals: Councilmember Omar Narvaez and performer Kennedy Davenport. Pride in Dallas set the parade for Sept. 21, 2025, at 2 p.m. on the Cedar Springs strip.

Speakers also named elected guests and partners in attendance, including Judge Stacey Williams and State Representative Vinton Jones, and thanked organizations supporting Pride activities, such as the Dallas Wings, Dallas Mavericks, the Dallas Police LGBT liaison program, Dallas Fire-Rescue, the Resource Center of Dallas and Dallas County Health and Human Services.

The program closed with an invitation to raise the flag, take photographs with elected and former elected officials, and join upcoming Pride events. No formal votes or new council actions were recorded at the ceremony itself; the proclamation read aloud was adopted by the council in 2021 and was referenced as existing policy.