Rain-soaked start doesn't dampen spirits at Twin Cities Pride

Thunderstorms and steady rain soaked downtown Minneapolis on Sunday, delaying Twin Cities Pride events, while failing to dampen the enthusiasm of attendees.

Organizers pushed the Pride parade back about 30 minutes as storms moved through the area, while the Rainbow Run 5K was delayed by more than an hour.

"Feet are still wet. They'll be wet all day," said Morgan Cole from Hopkins.

"The rain doesn't dampen the spirit at all," said Brenda Faber, also from Hopkins.

Others are here from across the country. Ginger and Nancy are visiting Pride from Austin, Texas. To stay dry, the two improvised, finding child-size rain coats when the adult ones were sold out at a Target store.

They said they made the trip, in part, because of Twin Cities Pride's reputation.

"We have family here, but we heard it's one of the largest Pride celebrations and we wanted to experience Pride that has a lot of history behind it," said Ginger.

For many here, it's simply about being present as advocates, showing up, rain or shine.

"I'm here to support people and I just love the community and I love Minnesota," said Lilah Easton from Inver Grove Heights.

"We want to make sure young people feel safe, so we like to be out and be visible," said Ginger.