Rice University’s Pride spirit took to the streets of downtown Houston Aug. 15 as students, faculty, staff and alumni joined thousands of Houstonians for the city’s annual Pride Parade.
For the Rice community, the evening was a celebration of LGBTQ+ identity, community and the university’s long-standing commitment to creating a welcoming environment for all Owls.
Among those leading the celebration was D. Fitzgerald, a senior studying political science with a minor in women, gender and sexuality studies. Fitzgerald was selected earlier this year as a Houston Pride Trendsetter Grand Marshal, making the parade an especially meaningful experience.
“It was extremely fun and just so amazing seeing so many people came to the Pride Parade,” Fitzgerald said. “Everyone was just so nice, and it was great.”
Fitzgerald spent the afternoon decorating the Jeep she rode during the procession. Fittingly, the Jeep is owned and was driven along the parade route by Rice graduate student Matt Adams.
Despite feeling nervous before the parade began, Fitzgerald said those nerves quickly gave way to excitement once the celebration got underway.
One moment in particular will stay with Fitzgerald.
Looking into the crowd, Fitzgerald saw people representing a wide range of genders and sexualities. Among them was a transgender person who waved to Fitzgerald from the parade route.
“Seeing trans people of color really inspired me and filled me with so much hope,” Fitzgerald said. “I think I’ll remember that for the rest of my life.”
That sense of representation was central to Fitzgerald’s experience as a grand marshal. The moment offered a reminder of why visibility matters — particularly for people who may be seeing themselves represented in a public celebration for the first time.
Rice’s participation in the parade also reflected the university’s broader community. Students, employees and alumni came together to celebrate Pride and support one another, continuing a tradition that has connected Rice to Houston’s LGBTQ+ community for decades.
For Tamara Siler ’87, director of university relations in the Office of Enrollment, participating in the parade is an annual tradition and an opportunity to stand alongside students.
“Pride at Rice means that we haven’t stopped supporting those who need our support, even in the face of so many challenges on a statewide and a global scale,” Siler said.
Siler, who has participated in the parade for years, said she was particularly looking forward to seeing Fitzgerald serve as grand marshal and watching younger generations of Houstonians show their support.
“I think it’s important for us from all levels to make sure that we are standing up and that we are not afraid,” Siler said. “We will not be bowed.”
But for Siler, Pride is also about celebration.
“I’m talking a lot about the advocacy, but let’s just celebrate,” she said. “Let’s celebrate people. Let’s celebrate the voices that enrich Rice University at every turn.”
Jamie Gonzales, associate director of alumni affinity networks in the Office of Development and Alumni Relations, joined the parade as a staff representative of the Rice Alumni Pride Network. Gonzales said the network illustrates how Rice’s LGBTQ community remains connected across generations, with alumni supporting students and investing in initiatives that strengthen the community.
“Alumni groups go out of their way to raise funds and build up networks,” Gonzales said. “This is one of the ways that, through the generations and through the Rice network, the alumni come to connect and stay involved, even when they’re not on campus every day.”
Gonzales also praised the work of Rice students who have helped build community and provide educational opportunities and resources for LGBTQ students.
She pointed to Fitzgerald’s leadership and involvement with the Rice Student Center and Queer Resource Center as an example of the impact students can have on campus and beyond.
For Fitzgerald, Rice’s continued presence at the Pride Parade is part of what makes the university feel welcoming to LGBTQ students.
“Rice is definitely a very inclusive and welcoming place for the LGBTQ community,” Fitzgerald said. “It seems like throughout my time at Rice, Rice has tried to be even more welcoming to LGBTQ people plus people of color and bringing everyone together.”
The university’s Pride community has continued to grow through the efforts of students, employees and alumni who organize events, provide resources and create opportunities for connection.
That community was on full display Aug. 15 — a celebration that Fitzgerald said demonstrated something larger than the parade itself: resilience.
“As LGBTQ people, we’ve been striving for representation and equality and equal access and representation as a whole,” Fitzgerald said. “Even when things set us back, we always find a way to create a space and to allow ourselves to be in community and to make our community as inclusive as possible.”