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All photos in this story were provided by Basin Pride and were taken by Brenda Salazar and Callie Cummings.
While most Pride celebrations usually kick off in June around the country 鈥� the Permian Basin鈥檚 celebration came early.
On a recent Saturday in Odessa, people lounged in the grass at Noel Heritage Plaza in downtown Odessa, watching drag performers dance. LGBTQ organizations from Texas and New Mexico had booths set up for anyone who wanted to stop by. And attendees could wander around a street fair where they could buy art, barbeque or tarot cards.
Organizers had originally picked April for the festival to avoid the sweltering heat of a West Texas summer, but that forced the event to coincide with the 2023 Texas legislative session, where lawmakers have filed a slew of anti-LGBTQ bills, including legislation that would restrict healthcare for trans youth, limit who can see drag shows and censor how educators talk about gender identity and sexual orientation.
鈥淟egislation of hate and bigotry won鈥檛 stop us,鈥� a performer going by A Boy Named Pony shouted to the crowd. 鈥淎nd I know our love will be triumphant!鈥�
Patty Reeves described lawmakers鈥� efforts as a gray cloud, which made the day鈥檚 festivities all the more important.
鈥淚t鈥檚 so needed right now.鈥� She said, 鈥淥ur community needs a breath of fresh air. They need celebration, they need to be with people who see them for who they are.鈥�
Reeves is the head of the Permian Basin PFLAG chapter, one of the oldest gay rights organizations in the country.
She says it feels so good to watch people come together and feel comfortable enough to just be themselves 鈥� especially in such a staunchly conservative community.
鈥淚 feel at peace when I鈥檓 out with our community. I see everyone so happy and the kids running around with their flags,鈥� she said.
Emerging onto the park鈥檚 station, in a dazzling dress and a tall wig, Aundria Sinclair told her audience she was excited to be back in her hometown.
Sinclair proclaimed, 鈥淪ee, I鈥檓 a West Texas girl. I grew up here, I went to school here 鈥� I went to Permian, don鈥檛 hold that against me 鈥� and I even started my teaching career here.鈥�
Odessa was also the place where she sharpened her skills as a drag queen 鈥� first performing in the 90s at local bars. Now she teaches in Denver and was just recently crowned Miss Gay Colorado.
Throughout the day鈥檚 celebration, Sinclair had a number of costume changes and later lip-synced Melissa Ethridrige鈥檚 song 鈥淚鈥檓 Not The Only One.鈥� But her favorite part was, 鈥淭he kids, just being unapologetic for who they are.鈥�
They鈥檇 come up to her in awe. 鈥淚t was like being their long-lost aunt.鈥� She explained, 鈥� It really made me feel like my generation paved that way for them.鈥�
As she performed, she reveled in performing for people of all ages.
鈥淚t was kind of my way of giving the legislatures the finger,鈥� she explained. 鈥淚t was my way of saying, 鈥業鈥檓 not out here hurting any kids.鈥� I鈥檓 out here inspiring people and giving you art.鈥�
This year was only the fourth Basin Pride festival held in the Midland-Odessa area and Tim O鈥橪eary led the charge to organize it. He said, this pride celebration may be less of a party and more relaxed, but he鈥檚 really proud.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 have the giant floats, maybe one year we will.鈥� He continued, 鈥淲e鈥檙e at the stage where everyone鈥檚 just chilling on the grass and enjoying community.鈥�
He says Pride has always been a solace no matter what鈥檚 going on in the world. O鈥橪eary鈥檚 goal for the festival was to give people a place where they could just be themselves.
O鈥橪eary explained, 鈥淛ust for today, we didn鈥檛 want them to think about what鈥檚 going on, we just wanted them to be.鈥�