On a toasty June day in downtown Dubuque, hundreds of people gathered at Clock Tower Plaza to celebrate Pride.
There was dancing. There was comedy. There were bubbles. There was drag. There was laughter and joy.
For the Dubuque County Democrats, Pride is a chance to celebrate and reaffirm a simple truth: everyone deserves to feel welcome in their community.
Whether you stopped by our booth to grab a sticker, register to vote, meet candidates, or simply say hello, thank you. Events like Pride remind us that politics isn’t just about elections. It’s about people – and Dubuque has some pretty great people. 🥰
More Than a Celebration
Pride is a celebration of LGBTQIA+ people, history, and culture. But it is also a celebration of community.
Throughout the day, we saw Dubuquers coming together, families supporting loved ones, and people from every background coming together in a spirit of acceptance and belonging. In a time when so much of our national politics feels divided, Pride offers something different: a reminder that communities grow stronger when everyone is welcomed and respected.
That sense of belonging matters, especially in red states like Iowa.
For many people, Pride is the first place they felt fully seen. For others, it’s simply a chance to celebrate friends, family members, and neighbors. Either way, the message is the same: everyone deserves the freedom to be themselves and the opportunity to thrive.
“Hope will never be silent.”
— Harvey Milk
(1930-1978) American politician and the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California
Why We Were There
The Dubuque County Democrats were proud to host a booth at this year’s Pride celebration.
We talked with voters, handed out stickers and coloring sheets, helped people learn about voter registration, and connected with folks from across the county.
Most importantly, we listened.
Over the past several years, Iowa has become a focal point in national debates over LGBTQIA+ rights. State lawmakers have approved restrictions affecting transgender Iowans in schools, healthcare, and public life. Most recently, Iowa became the first state in the nation to remove gender identity from its civil rights code, eliminating state-level protections against discrimination based on gender identity in areas such as housing, employment, education, and public accommodations.
These debates aren’t abstract.
They affect students sitting in our classrooms, families raising children in our neighborhoods, workers in local businesses, and people who call Dubuque County home. For some of our neighbors, these policies shape whether they feel safe, welcomed, and able to fully participate in community life.
That’s one reason Pride remains so important.
It is a celebration of progress, visibility, and belonging—but also a reminder that progress is never guaranteed. The rights and opportunities we enjoy today exist because people organized, spoke up, voted, and refused to accept that some members of their community deserved fewer protections than others.
Thank You, Dubuque!
To everyone who attended Pride this weekend: thank you. 🙏
Thank you for celebrating, supporting local organizations, and helping create a welcoming space for friends, families, and neighbors across our community.
We’ll carry that energy forward into the months ahead as we prepare for the November election, support local candidates, and continue building a stronger Dubuque County together.
Pride reminds us that community is not just something we celebrate. It’s something we build — together.