AUSTIN, Texas — A chance to spread love – it may seem pretty simple. But it's just one of the ways you could describe the 2019 Austin Pride Parade.
"It's just a celebration of people being who they are," said one participant who was with the Microsoft float. "Can it be any better than that."
Some who were just there to watch the parade use this as a chance to help lift others up, like the Autrys.
"As parents, we're trying to teach our kids that we love everybody regardless of race, religion, orientation," said the mom. "It doesn't matter."
The family was holding a sign that read "family hugs."
"Because to carry five signs, you know, for mom hugs and dad hugs and baby sister hugs, we decided 'family hugs,'" added the mother.
The Tristans were another family along the parade route. Their sign was in support of their son, Christian.
"God blessed me with a gay son," read Michelle Tristan's sign. "I just want ... to be supportive of him, but be all-inclusive of all the people."
It's sentiment Christian appreciates.
"It makes me really glad that I have the support I do, because it's just like not everybody does, and I know a lot of people being in college – I know a lot of students that don't," he said. "So it's really hard to get by without that kind of support, so it just makes me really glad they're here with me."
As for the Autrys, they said they were constantly giving out hugs as a way to show love and spread that to all.
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