Dallas Pride has named Jimmy Bartlett and David Taffet as honorary grand marshals for the 2026 Michael Doughman Pride Parade on Cedar Springs. Their recognition highlights long-running LGBTQ+ advocacy in Dallas, while the event’s “Pride Lives Here” theme arrives at a moment when visibility, community support and public celebration feel especially important.

Essential Takeaways

  • Two community advocates honoured: Jimmy Bartlett and David Taffet will serve as 2026 honorary grand marshals.
  • Parade date set: The Michael Doughman Pride Parade on Cedar Springs begins at 2pm on Sunday, 20 September.
  • A milestone year: Pride in Dallas is celebrating its fifth anniversary under the theme “Pride Lives Here”.
  • Recognition with meaning: Both honourees have contributed to Dallas LGBTQ+ life through advocacy, leadership and practical community work.
  • A louder message: Taffet says Pride remains vital when LGBTQ+ people face political pressure and public hostility.

Dallas Pride 2026 puts community leaders centre stage

The strongest message behind this year’s Dallas Pride announcement is that recognition doesn't always go to the loudest personality. Sometimes it goes to the people who keep the lights on, tell the stories and quietly make a city more welcoming.

Jimmy Bartlett, owner of BarTech Services, and David Taffet, senior staff writer at Dallas Voice, have been selected as honorary grand marshals for the 2026 parade. Pride in Dallas says their years of service helped shape a more inclusive local community.

That gives the honour a satisfying sense of substance. A parade may last an afternoon, but the work behind it stretches across years of organising, reporting, supporting businesses and showing up when support is needed most.

Who are the 2026 honorary grand marshals?

Bartlett brings a practical, behind-the-scenes perspective. Through BarTech Services, he works in web design and management, while his wider involvement has connected technology, event infrastructure and community life.

Taffet is a familiar voice in Dallas LGBTQ+ journalism. His reporting has helped document the people, debates and celebrations that define the city’s queer community, giving local stories a place in the public record.

Both men described the announcement as deeply meaningful. Bartlett said the moment allows him to enjoy the celebration rather than focus on logistics, while Taffet called the recognition humbling after years of support from the Dallas LGBTQ+ community.

Why Pride still matters in a tense political climate

Pride can look wonderfully simple from the pavement: colour, music, banners and a crowd moving together beneath the Texas sun. Yet the celebration also carries a sharper purpose when LGBTQ+ rights and visibility become political targets.

Taffet’s message is direct. When the community is under attack, he argues, people need to be “louder and prouder” while supporting one another. It’s a sentiment that turns the parade from a spectacle into a form of collective reassurance.

That doesn't mean every attendee arrives with the same politics or priorities. Some come for family, some for friendship, some for protest and some simply want to feel at home for a few hours. The strength of Pride is that all those reasons can exist side by side.

What to know before the Cedar Springs parade

The Michael Doughman Pride Parade is scheduled to begin at 2pm on Sunday, 20 September. Cedar Springs will once again provide the setting, bringing the event into one of Dallas’s best-known LGBTQ+ neighbourhoods.

If you're planning to attend, arrive early enough to find a comfortable viewing spot and check official updates before travelling. Comfortable shoes, water and sun protection are hardly glamorous parade accessories, but they can make the difference between a brilliant afternoon and a rather sweaty retreat.

It’s also worth planning around the crowd. Agree on a meeting point, keep phones charged and consider accessibility needs before the streets become busy. Pride is more enjoyable when the practical details are handled in advance.

“Pride Lives Here” looks beyond one weekend

The 2026 theme, “Pride Lives Here”, marks Pride in Dallas’s fifth anniversary. The wording is simple, but it makes an important point: Pride isn't confined to a float, a flag or a single Sunday in September.

It lives in local businesses, community organisations, journalism, volunteering and the everyday choices that help people feel safe enough to be visible. The honours for Bartlett and Taffet reflect that broader idea, recognising steady contribution rather than one-off appearances.

Dallas Voice has covered Pride celebrations, parade milestones and community debates over the years, while Pride in Dallas continues to frame the event as part of the city’s wider civic life. For many attendees, that continuity matters. The most powerful part of a parade may be the reminder that the community will still be here after the music fades.

A celebration with a long memory

There’s a useful balance in this year’s announcement. Bartlett represents the often-unseen work that allows major public events to function, while Taffet represents the storytelling that helps a community remember where it has been.

Together, they underline a broader truth about Pride in Dallas: celebration and resistance aren't opposites. A joyful crowd can also be making a serious statement about belonging, dignity and the right to be seen.

The parade's future will depend on new organisers, younger voices and familiar supporters working together. For now, naming these two honorary grand marshals offers a warm reminder that lasting change is usually built by people who keep turning up.

It's a parade, but it's also a public promise that Pride lives here.

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