As thousands packed Piedmont Park Oct. 9 for the second day of the Atlanta Pride Festival, Ashley Phillips and her partner, Lauren Phillips, relaxed with their two young daughters at a table in the “food court” section of the park.
The women, both age 28 and together for 10 years, have traveled from Hapeville, Ga., to the fest for the past six years.
“We enjoy being among others who accept how our family is,” said Ashley Phillips.
For their daughters, Zaria, 11, and Kieia, 6, Sunday’s parade was incredible fun. Asked a series of questions about what they liked about the parade — the floats, the flags, the people — the girls answered with a shy “yes” to each. Zaria, however, knew there was definitely one thing that stood out over everything else.
“All the candy,” she said, smiling and biting down on a red, chewy piece of her bounty.