Sports legends Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe will serve as grand marshals for the 50th annual Seattle Pride Parade, organizers announced Monday.
“We’re honored to be named grand marshals for the Seattle Pride Parade and look forward to seeing everyone on parade day,” the two said in a joint statement. “It’s humbling to be recognized in our city that we love, and as part of a community with such a rich LGBTQIA+ history. It’s going to be an incredible celebration of love and acceptance.”
The duo has been long-time advocates for Black lives, women’s rights, and LGBTQ+ rights. In 2022, they co-founded a production company ‘A Touch More’ to tell the stories of marginalized people. Bird was voted by fans as one of the WNBA’s top 15 players of all time. Rapinoe was named as one of Time magazine’s “100 Most Influential People” and is a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom award.
“We are beyond excited that Sue and Megan will be serving as grand marshals for this year’s Seattle Pride Parade,” said Seattle Pride Executive Director Patti Hearn. “These two exceptional women are champions in their respective sports, champions for the queer community, and role models for future generations of LGBTQIA+ leaders; they are the perfect grand marshals for our 50-year milestone.”
In honor of the 50th anniversary, Bird and Rapinoe will be joined by an intergenerational contingent of LGBTQ+ leaders, including Seattle Pride’s first organizer David Neth. Representatives fromCamp Ten Trees, GenPride, Lambert House, Seattle’s LGBTQ+ Center, Seattle Public Schools, and South Park Senior Center will serve as “tribute to Seattle’s LGBTQIA+ past, present, and promising future,” organizers say.
Seattle Pride will take place on June 30 at 11am. The parade will march down Fourth Avenue between Union Street and Denny Way.
The celebration in Washington’s largest parade and single day celebration. It’s one of the largest pride parades in the country.
The first two hours of the parade will be livestreamed on kiro7.com and on the KIRO 7 News apps for phone and TV.
