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‘Make a difference and an impact’: Omaha Pride celebrates the legacy of LGBTQ+ advocate Gary West
OMAHA, Neb. —
Pride celebrations filled downtown Omaha with color and joy over the weekend.
The 2026 parade featured over 150 organizations and hundreds of participants.
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READ MORE: ‘Pride in Protest’: Omaha community celebrates Heartland Pride Parade
KETV NewsWatch 7’s Izzy Fonfara Drewel got to learn more about the man who helped start all of it.
Vince Percy participated in Omaha’s first Pride parade in 1985 alongside just 60 people.
“It was a nightmare because they did not want our kind to be out. We shouldn’t be proud,” Percy said.
Next to him was Gary West, a pivotal figure in the city’s LGBTQ+ community.
West, who died in June, was instrumental in bringing Pride to Omaha.
“If we didn’t do it, who was going to do it? Part of Gary’s idea was that we need to be here, stay here and make a difference and an impact,” Percy said.
This year’s Pride marked the first since 1985 without West.
“No matter who it was in the community, Gary wanted to make sure that everyone was helped and was supported,” Percy said.
Percy described West as someone who dedicated himself to the community, opening his home, organizing fundraisers, and engaging in politics to make a difference.
“I don’t get to sit home and let others do it. We’re still going to participate. We’re still going to be part of the solution. That’s what drives me. That’s what drove Gary and that’s what he inspired,” Percy said.
For Percy, coming out and celebrating every identity is a way to honor West’s memory and contributions.
“To have people on the streets crying and thanking us for doing this and not throwing beer bottles at us and calling us names is overwhelming,” Percy said.
He believes West’s impact will continue to resonate for generations to come.
“Gary’s legacy is going to be felt by those who knew Gary and those who never met him because the things that he did will last for years and years and years,” Percy said.
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