Candidates, community groups and corporations show their rainbow colors at Motor City Pride parade

DETROIT – Motor City Pride’s annual parade, hosted in downtown Detroit on Sunday, was a colorful celebration of the city and state’s LGBTQ+ community

“We’re really pleased that we’re able to provide this safe space for individuals to be their authentic selves,” Motor City Pride Chairperson Dave Wait told Michigan Advance Monday.

Wait noted that attendance was record-breaking — albeit not by huge margins — and exceeded the 65,000 attendees at 2025 Motor City Pride, though official guest counts for this weekend have yet to be completed. 

“Our message is, we come together to celebrate the advancements that we’ve made to celebrate how progressive Michigan is, and how welcoming Michigan is to LGBTQ+ individuals, but we’re also here to continue advocating for full protections,” Wait continued. “We know that there’s still some changing of hearts and minds that we need to do around the state and around the country.”

Groups marching in the parade ranged from major corporations like Macy’s and Kroger to local institutions like the Detroit Institute of Arts, as well as local and statewide LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations like Equality Michigan and Stand with Trans. 

A number of candidates for office in the 2026 election cycle were also present. Paradegoers donning stickers for progressive U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed were particularly visible throughout Sunday’s festivities, and a number of other Democratic candidates for office — including Attorney General candidate Eli Savit and congressional candidate and state Rep. Donovan McKinney (D-Detroit) marched down Griswold Ave.

Several statewide elected officials also showed up to show their support for the LGBTQ+ community in Michigan — including Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Attorney General Dana Nessel, who herself is openly gay. 

“She’s just really passionate about the community, and our protections,” Wait said of Whitmer’s presence at the parade. “When she marches, she kind of runs, hugs and high-fives everyone. It’s great to see her enthusiasm and support of the LGBTQ+ community.”