NORTHAMPTON — A mound of sand in the driveway and 130 folded event tents packed inside the entryway mark the home of Clay Pearson this week. Inside, plastic tubs filled with everything from batteries to paper plates line the walls.
The Hampshire Pride founder who some call the “Gayor of Northampton” could be seen gliding around his home in his 7-inch stiletto ankle boots, weaving through the chaos to complete preparations for Saturday’s Pride Parade — a Northampton institution since 1982.
Planning has been underway since January for the event, which is expected to draw 20,000 people. From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., downtown roads will be closed as some 100 different groups head down the city’s main arteries, featuring everything from stilts to motorcycles, Japanese-style drums, floats and bands all punctuated with a flurry of rainbows.
Various performers, including drag kings and queens, will keep the party going late into the night. The parade will line up at Sheldon Field at 11 a.m., travel down Route 9 onto Main Street and end at Crafts Avenue, followed by an hourlong rally. Entertainment begins at 2 p.m. and lasts until 6 p.m., with additional shows continuing until 1 a.m.
Since January, Pearson has been in “parade mode,” coordinating with city officials and law enforcement, securing sponsors and managing volunteers. Most recently, he finished applying iron-on decals to tents in his living room while, outside, Hampshire Pride’s Assistant Coordinator Scotia MacGillivray shoveled sand into bags to anchor them.
Pearson noted that LGBTQ rights move in ebbs and flows; he describes 2026 as a stagnant period as the community faces increasing threats and dwindling access to gender-affirming care.
“You feel the backlash coming right now,” Pearson said, pausing to pour himself a glass of Coke. “When rights get expanded, that’s when Pride is more of a celebration, and then conversely, when rights get contracted or stagnate, that’s when Pride becomes a protest.”
MacGillivray, a lesbian in her 60s, stressed the importance of visibility so the community isn’t “forced back into the government closet that we thought was disassembled.”
Pearson added that the event honors the legacy of previous activists — from the baby boomers who led the inaugural 1982 parade to the millennials who fought for marriage equality.
Both organizers recalled that during the first parade, many participants wore bags over their heads to avoid being identified and fired. These are the heroes of days gone by that are honored in keeping up the tradition, said Pearson.
After a hiatus from 2020 through 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Pearson spearheaded the event’s return in 2023 by founding Hampshire Pride.
“You have to be you, have to demonstrate and be really active to support your own rights,” said MacGillivray.
