Pride Bands Alliance, a group of LGBTQ+ marching bands, pulls out of Trump’s inaugural parade

The Pride Bands Alliance, an American group of LGBTQ+ marching bands, has opted not to participate in the inaugural parade for President-elect Donald Trump on January 20.

While, the alliance and its members usually take part in Democratic inauguration festivities, this time the alliance decided to withdraw its application for an opportunity to participate.

David Doan, a gay man who is president of the alliance, said that “the divisive language that was targeting the transgender and nonbinary community, particularly by Trump” was the reason.

While the alliance also did not participate in the most recent three inaugural parades for Republican presidents (they did participate in both of Barack Obama‘s and Bill Clinton‘s inaugural parades), Doan said this time is different because of the “intensity and degree of hatred.”

“This particular incoming president is overt about it,” Doan said. “The others – their agenda was not solely that. It was more regular Republican policies rather than being specific about a population not being supported.”

In articulating the band alliance’s reasoning, Doan referenced a commercial from the closing stretch of the 2024 campaign with the tagline “Kamala is for they/them, President Trump is for you” (referring to Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris) that aired over 30,000 times and in every swing state. Subsequent analysis found it among the most effective of the campaign, swinging viewers 2.7% toward Trump after viewing it.