First Lady Jill Biden drops by Pride festival to show support for LGBTQ community

Nashville Pride festivities kicked off Saturday with dozens of musical acts, vendors, food trucks and one special guest: First Lady Jill Biden.

Biden arrived at Bicentennial Mall on Saturday afternoon around 4:30 for a brief talk from the Equality Main Stage at the festival. Mayor John Cooper accompanied her. Prior to their visit, barricades were placed near the stage to limit the crowd size, but Biden’s message was loud and clear.

“Take this love with you. Let it remind you that you don’t face these battles alone,” Biden said. “You are never alone. Joe and I stand with you and we love you. Happy Pride!!”

Festival goer Noah Baker, a Nashville teacher, was excited to have the First Lady’s support.

“For her to be here today is cool,” said Baker. “There’s a lot of Prides to go to, and she chose Nashville which is neat. So, her support’s just endless.”

Jill Biden with Pride festival-goers in Nashville. (Jill Biden Twitter)

This year’s Nashville Pride comes as legal battles in Tennessee continue over LGBTQ rights, including a first-in-the-nation ban on public drag shows. A judge has since ruled that unconstitutional. And last week, WPLN reported on the attorney general’s actions to obtain medical records from the transgender health clinic at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Biden continued her Nashville visit Saturday night by attending a private political fundraiser for the re-election campaign of her husband, President Joe Biden.

Nashville Pride festivities continue today and are expected to wrap up at 7 p.m.