Henderson Pride celebrates fourth annual festival: A ‘beautiful thing’

On the steps of city hall, Henderson celebrated its fourth annual pride festival Saturday.

As performer Norma Llyaman, 57, delivered his rendition of Heather Small’s “Proud” to a crowd gathered under the midday sun, community members stood behind him holding signs reading messages such as “Say Gay,” “No Hate” and “We Exist.”

The festival, organized by Anthony Cortez, executive director of Henderson Pride, brought together dozens of organizations with unique missions. But underlying this diversity was a theme of unity.

When Cortez moved to Vegas in 2016, he was struck by the beauty of Lake Las Vegas, which inspired him to create Henderson Pride. The lake served as the event’s venue for two years before it moved to city hall.

Cortez said that since then, Henderson Pride continues to grow. “We are really happy and honored to be able to do it,” he said. “It showcases our diversity in our community.”

The opening ceremony

Sister Aura Lee of the Sin City Sisters, the southern Nevada chapter of the international Order of Perpetual Indulgence, launched the festivities with a proclamation by Henderson Mayor Michelle Romero officially proclaiming June as Pride Month in recognition of the anniversary of the Stonewall uprising in 1969.

“Many members of the LGBTQ+ community call the City of Henderson home, contributing to the city’s vibrant and diverse residential makeup,” Romero wrote in the proclamation.

Nethmini Happawana, a representative from Senator Jacky Rosen’s office, also took to the steps to present a certificate of congressional recognition of the annual festival.

“Thank you for providing the community an opportunity to celebrate love and equality,” Happawana said.

Lee, in their own political statement, reflected on the virtue of unity: “You all know the testament that we mean — the unity of 12 jurors in the hush money trials just last week,” they said.

Political pundits have speculated that another Trump presidency could mean rolling back the rights of LGBTQ+ people.

In this campaign cycle, Trump has vowed to “stop” minors from being able to seek gender-affirming care.

And Trump allies, like the organizations behind Project 2025, a conservative roadmap for a new Trump presidency, have advocated policies like urging congress to define gender as being fixed at birth.

Lee urged attendees to make this day as unforgettable as “the day we heard guilty on all 34 felony counts.” Lee remembered the moment fondly: “It was Thursday 2:10 p.m. — the day and time that I realized I could still do the happy dance.”

Amid the festivities

Off the steps, Congresswoman Dina Titus wandered the festival. “We all benefit when we’re all able to participate, contribute and be with the person we love, no matter who we are,” she said in between photos with attendees.

Titus visited the booth of Las Vegas Trans Pride, where founder Jamie Lee Sprague greeted attendees. She began hosting the Transgender Day of Remembrance in 2016, but found that the day “deals so much with death.”

Sprague decided to surround it with other more joyful days like the Transgender day of Empowerment.

Today, Las Vegas Trans Pride hosts community events and runs a food pantry. But Sprague said that, being a trans-specific organization, it’s hard to get funding.

Rather than diversify, it’s important to her not to break the trust she has with the trans community in the Las Vegas Valley.

Also in attendance was Las Vegas Pride, the organization that hosts Las Vegas’ parade in October. Jennifer Howe, 36, said that they enjoy spreading out the festivities over the course of the year.

Howe now serves on the board of directors. When they first moved to Las Vegas, they felt that they could help the main parade run more smoothly, which Howe feels they achieved.

They find the City of Las Vegas to be supportive, but said that one of the biggest expenses at Pride “is actually the police.”

“The police need to be present, we understand that,” they said. “But they could also donate their time.”

Howe feels that beyond relieving a financial burden, this would “go a long way with them trying to connect with our community, not just police us.”

Inside the order

The members of the Sin City Sisters donned their classic, paper-white makeup for the festival.

A group that is famed for their satirical use of Catholic imagery to promulgate joy and get rid of stigmatic guilt, the sisters are supporters of Henderson Pride.

The “white face,” Lee said, “gives the community a little bit of safety.” Members of the order are very rarely identifiable, and those who receive help from the order very rarely recognize their supporters. “It kind of goes both ways,” Lee explained.

Today, the Sin City Sisters run a non profit called SADAP, or the Sisters AIDS Drug Assistance Program. They help offset the cost of aids and HIV medications to low income people.

Sister Prudence Pride of Perfection, 45, said that the group consciously decided to not accept government funding. Prudence is one of the founding members of the group.

This allows the group to “give to who we want to,” he said. This is usually people who, on paper, wouldn’t qualify for government support but can’t afford expensive medication.

A space for all

For Markell Rivera, 19, Saturday was his first pride. He was joined by his aunt, Stacey Rivera, 37.

Stacey Rivera wanted to bring Markell to “something that he can actually go to.” As a young person, Markell Rivera said it’s hard to find places to go and join his community.

“I’ve never been to one,” he said. “It’s always 21 or over.” Stacey Rivera emphasized that there needs to be places where young people can be themselves.

Cortez said he is well aware of this need and the Henderson Pride Festival is designed to be family friendly.

But, he hopes it will grow in the future, continuing later into the evening. When Cortez decided to begin Henderson Pride, he sent out letters to the Henderson city council, fire department and chief of police.

“Immediately, they embraced it,” he said. “It was a beautiful thing,” he said, reflecting on the city’s “conservative” history.

Cortez hopes the festival will grow organically, maybe eventually evolving into a parade. For now, attendees celebrated with music, drinks and a sense of community.

When not performing, Llyaman donned a Mrs. Las Vegas Pride sash as he explored the festival. He said a year of volunteering with Las Vegas Pride bestowed him this honor.

As Mrs. Las Vegas Pride, Llyaman had two clear messages. The first was that “everyone needs to be human to each other,” he said. The second he shared from the city hall steps: “Vote.”

Contact Estelle Atkinson at eatkinson@reviewjournal.com.