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In Trump Era, Pride March Becomes #ResistMarch

"This year the LGBTQ+ community is lending its iconic rainbow flag to anyone who feels their rights are at risk and to everyone who believes that America's strength is its diversity," said Brian Pendleton, founder of Los Angeles' #ResistMarch

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Pride Marches on the White House on June 11, 2017. (Photo: Susan Melkisethian/flickr/cc)

The streets of Hollywood and West Hollywood on Sunday were filled with rainbow flags and calls for love to beat out hate. But it was a bit different from L.A. Pride parades of year past, as this year's march, coming as it did in the first Pride month of a Trump administration, took on a key hashtag since Jan. 20—#Resist—and the form of a protest march and show of solidarity with all those whose rights are in jeopardy.

"This year the LGBTQ+ community is lending its iconic rainbow flag to anyone who feels their rights are at risk and to everyone who believes that America's strength is its diversity," said Brian Pendleton, founder of #ResistMarch, in a statement ahead of the event. "When they come for one of us, they come for all of us. Which is why we our diverse intersectional community must unite as one."

The estimated 100,000-strong march, drew attention, in signs and chants, to LGBTQ+ equality as well as healthcare, climate change, immigration, and the black lives matter movement, the LA Times notes.

Indeed, a call to action from organizers spoke to numerous communities under attack:

We are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer. We are people of color. We are people of different faiths. We are people of all genders and no gender. We are immigrants. We are dreamers. We are people with disabilities. We are parents. We are allies. And we are beautiful intersections of these. But most of all, we are American. Yet our rights are in jeopardy. Forces are gathering in government that intend to take away our hard-won basic human rights.

Among California's congressional delegation present at the event was Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), an outspoken critic of president Donald Trump, who said of him: "He's not my president. He's not your president. He lies. He cheats. He's a bully. He disrespects us all. And if he thinks he can mess with the LGBT community, he'd better look at what happened right here in West Hollywood," the LA Times reports.

The Resist March and others captured scenes of the event on Twitter:

A similar march and message took place in Washington, D.C. where "[l]esbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, straight, white, black, Latinx Americans, and people from across the world all marched in solidarity Sunday to protest how they believe the Trump administration could negatively affect the LGBT community," NPR reports.

"We're here, we're queer, get that Cheeto out of here," was among the chants heard.

As D.C. march participant Daniel Dunlop of Atlanta, sees it, "There's a growing hostile rhetoric from the White House and we don't like the point of direction."

"The fact that Trump did not even recognize Pride month is an omen of what's to come, and we need to mobilize now," he said to BBC.

Pride marches and events took place in other cities across the nation and world this weekend, just before the one year anniversary of the mass shooting at Pulse nightclub Orlando, Fla. that left 49 people dead.

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