Earlier today, the Atlanta Hawks marched in the Atlanta Pride Parade with presence from the organization’s team members, friends and family. The team-branded activation truck included rainbow flags and featured the popular emcee Patrice ‘Sway’ McKinney hyping up paradegoers and DJ Toni K spinning live from the truck’s interior. Hawks Entertainment was also in attendance and handed out Hawks-branded Pride t-shirts, mini pride flags and rainbow necklaces to thousands of people throughout Midtown Atlanta.
“We are championing diversity and celebrating equity and inclusion by walking in the Atlanta Pride Parade today,” said Hawks’ Executive Vice President and Chief People, Diversity and Inclusion Officer Camye Mackey. “We are grateful for BMW in joining us to show the importance of allyship to the LGBTQIA+ community.”
Joining the Hawks in the festivities were ‘Your Atlanta Area BMW Centers’ who provided a BMW M440i Convertible to ride alongside the activation truck in the parade.
The Atlanta Pride Parade is the biggest event of Atlanta Pride Weekend. Drawing over 100,000 people along the streets of Midtown Atlanta, the parade kicked off at noon from the Atlanta Civic Center MARTA Station, continued down Peachtree Street and ended at Piedmont Park. The Atlanta Pride Committee is Georgia’s oldest non-profit agency serving the LGBTQIA+ community and serves as an advocate of, and resource to, gender and sexually diverse communities in Atlanta and the Southeastern United States.
In 2015, the Hawks were the first professional sports team in Atlanta to enter a float in Atlanta’s annual Pride Parade. The Hawks have continued to extend support to the LGBTQIA+ community beyond the Pride Parade with the implementation of the annual Pride Night at the award-winning State Farm Arena. The organization continues to highlight community, equality and economic advancement efforts through supporting the Human Right Campaign, OUT Georgia Business Alliance and Lost-N-Found Youth.
Launched in 2022, the Hawks Pride Council includes external community leaders, partners and entrepreneurs in the LGBTQIA+ community who work with the organization as advocates and liaisons. The focus of the council is to ensure a more inclusive environment and to help the organization adopt policies that create a welcoming environment for everyone. The Atlanta Hawks LGBTQIA+ Pride Employee Resource Group serves to promote LGBTQIA+ rights in the workplace and fosters connection between team members across the company who share similar experiences and identities.
Fans interested in special ticket offers to ‘Pride Night presented by Your Atlanta Area BMW Centers’ on Feb. 9, 2023 should visit Hawks.com/Promotions.