Marching through downtown Salem as part of the city’s annual Pride Month celebration is about more than just having a good time at one of the city’s most vibrant events.

It’s also about resiliency, said Zachery Cordoso, the president of Salem Capital Pride, which organizes the annual event.

Despite rising anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment in the U.S. , Salem Capital Pride will hold true to its commitment to Salem’s queer community by putting on Saturday’s event.

“We are obviously taking those things into consideration and making sure that we are going to take care of each other,” Cardoso. “It is important to hold events like Pride and make sure that they happen, and make sure that people have joy in their lives because we are not going to let anyone rob that from us.”

This year’s Pride Parade an

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