Thousands attend Phoenix Pride and celebrate love for all

PHOENIX (KSAZ) - Exploding with color, creativity, and community -- the message at Phoenix Pride is simple.

"I think everybody has the right to love who they love," said a participant.

Thousands hit the streets today to show support for the LGBTQ community. For many, today means much more than just a march. 

"I started on March 10th with this float, and I actually had some tears in my eyes today cause it's been a lot of hours and blood sweat and tears went into this," said a float maker.

Adding that sometimes standing up for what you believe in can be the ultimate act of bravery.

"What pride means to me is being yourself, and being who you want to be. I think a lot of people need to be strong. All these hearts mean something to everyone and I'm very proud to be a part of this."

Lot of companies, organizations city leaders, and individuals represented their pride today including Phantomz Football, the all-women tackle football team.

"It's about bringing women together, it's about woman empowerment, woman aren't here just for the kitchen. We're hitting hard," said a football player.

And like the countless colors waving through the air, there's an infinite number of reasons folks showed up to show their pride.

"Just standing up, being loud, being proud. Anyone that comes together, especially with the unity of sports, it really brings everyone together and have some fun," said another football player.