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Thousands attend 5th annual Franklin Pride event
FRANKLIN, Tenn. (WKRN) — Despite the stormy weather, thousands of people went to the fifth annual Franklin Pride festival Saturday to show support for the LGBTQ+ community.
'It can seem like the community is very small,' festivalgoer Brandy Brown told News 2. 'However, it's really not, and you can see the amount of people that are here today, how important it is, and how necessary that it is to continue to support it and to show the youth that there are people here who care about them, too.'
Attendees said Franklin Pride provides an opportunity for them to be their authentic selves.
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'I came out as gay as a pastor, and it was a nightmare and it was really difficult to find my way to where I am today, and so I was like, 'Man, we got to help people in this process,' and so we're here offering our services and making sure people know that we're available,' Mike Maeshiro explained.
The event on Saturday, June 7 was heavily secured by the Franklin Police Department, as well as private security, to prevent any unwelcome occurrences at the festival. Organizers said a couple of people who 'weren't aligned with Franklin Pride's mission' were asked to leave.
'I think what's really important is that we come to community events like this, and you talk to people who are not like you, and you realize that we are all connected and that kindness is the most important thing,' eventgoer Coco Rogers told News 2.
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A few months ago, News 2 reported how the nation's political climate posed a challenge for planning this year's event. However, organizers said the community rallied together to help.
'We lost a couple of big sponsors at the beginning of the year, and the community really stepped up, and they show us that they want us to be here and that we're important to the community,' Clayton Klutts, president and organizer of Franklin Pride, said.
Rain or shine, festivalgoers said Saturday's event was an overall success.
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'I think we just want to thank the community for really showing up this year. This would not be possible without all the support that we've gotten,' said organizer Spencer Lyst.
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