Come Out With Pride is back in person for the first time since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. 

The One Orlando Alliance is hosting a series of panels next week as part of the National Trans March on 10/9 at Lake Eola covering Transgender people and law enforcement, the opioid crisis, and mental health care. All panels can be streamed online at https://t.co/TqsyIZr7Dg. pic.twitter.com/zJ7vFnmKlc

— One Orlando Alliance (@OneOrlandoAll) October 1, 2021

The day-long Pride event will take place at Lake Eola Park on Saturday, October 9 from 12 to 9:30 pm. 

Attendees must RSVP in advance to keep crowds manageable and allow for social distancing. Everyone is strongly encouraged to wear a mask even if fully vaccinated. 

Josh Bell, the director of One Orlando Alliance, says this year’s event will be especially joyous and safe with these protocols in place. 

“I am so excited for Come Out With Pride this year. It’s been such a difficult 18+ months where we’ve all been trying to navigate the realities of how we stay safe but also how do we continue to live our lives.”

Bell and his group are also leading this year’s first ever National Trans Visibility March in Orlando on the same day. Bell says it’s time to stand with the transgender community who have been targeted by Sunshine State legislation along with increasing violence and harassment over the past 12 months.

“So there’s all these things that are working against our transgender siblings. And so the opportunity to show up and celebrate our transgender community, to show up and walk alongside our transgender community and say, ‘we are here with you and we are walking alongside you and we are listening and we want to be supportive’. That’s a really valuable opportunity.”

For more information on Come Out With Pride and to RSVP, click on the link.