How umbrellas became an unexpected symbol at the Iowa City LGBTQ+ Pride Parade

Zachary Oren Smith
Press Citizen

Floating down the route at the Iowa City Pride Parade Saturday, there was a ready visual language: rainbow textiles, pink triangles and immaculately contoured cheekbones. 

But balancing above the hundreds that lined the streets of Downtown Iowa City was an unexpected symbol of LGBTQ+ pride: umbrellas. A chorus of them wobbled triumphantly at the intersection of N Dubuque and E Washington streets. Each held high to strategically obscure the signs of a handful of people protesting the parade.

"It was raining earlier so we happened to bring our umbrellas," said Tamlin Day of Fairfield Iowa. "The rain stopped, but it was still raining s— behind me,” he said pointing to the protesters screaming behind his umbrella. “So we decided to put our umbrellas up to help everybody else.”

Day said he was unbothered by the protesters behind him. 

"I've noticed when in places where we can all get together that there are way more of us than I ever thought," Day said. "I told my straight, cis(gender) friends that I'm going to QueerCon."

When Elizabeth Dinschel of Coralville saw folks like Day holding their umbrellas high, she wanted to join in with the chant: "L. O. V. E. L. O. V. E."

"I have queer family members so I'm out here for them," Dinschel said. "I actually left them to come over here and hold an umbrella." 

She said she did not like the idea of her child being exposed to the protesters' signage.

"I don't think my child should know there are people who hate them in this world," Dinschel said. "I'll come out to join anything that drowns out hate."

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Zachary Oren Smith writes about government, growth and development for the Press-Citizen. Reach him at zsmith@press-citizen.com or 319-339-7354, and follow him on Twitter @zacharyos.