(This story was featured in Vol. II • No. 3 - July 2025)
With PRIDE: A Runway Revolution, Border Child Productions presents a vibrant new wave of expression that is unapologetic and deeply rooted in pride. In Laredo, Pride isn’t just a parade or a party. It’s a movement, and at the center of it all is a growing community of queer artists who are turning dance into protest, performance into power, and visibility into legacy.
Laredo’s LGBTQ+ community has long existed in quiet brilliance. But now, through projects like PRIDE: A Runway Revolution, their light is center stage and it’s moving. Literally.
The production was screened June 21 in the downtown courtyard of what had been the old VFW Hall, now the location of El Meson on Wheels.
Choreographer and creative director Leann Bernal is one of the many artists leading this charge. Through her recent work, she’s using the language of dance to speak truths often left unspoken in mainstream media. “In Laredo, we don’t always see ourselves represented,” Bernal said. “So we created our own space on camera, on stage, and in the streets.”
Dance in Laredo has become more than an art form. It can be an act of resistance. With bold choreography, fierce drag performance, and raw storytelling, local queer talent is reclaiming space and rewriting the narrative. Each movement in their performances tells a story of survival, joy, love, and defiance. It’s movement born from the border, shaped by bicultural identities, and grounded in the unique rhythm of this city.
These performances aren’t just for show. They’re for the community. Watch parties are becoming safe spaces. Local productions are centering queer voices. And more and more, artists are lifting each other up, offering platforms that didn’t exist before. It’s a renaissance, and it’s being led by Laredoans.
“The most powerful thing we’ve seen is people realizing we’re here. We’ve always been here,” and we’re taking ownership of that,” Bernal said.
Pride in Laredo isn’t confined to June. It lives in every dancer who dares to step forward, every drag queen who hits the stage, every young artist who finally sees themselves reflected in the spotlight. This city, with its deep-rooted traditions and layered histories, is evolving. And its queer community is at the heart of that evolution.
For the Border Child artists involved, it’s not just about performance. It’s about purpose. It’s about showing the next generation that their stories matter, their creativity is valid, and their pride is power.
Laredo is on the move. And thanks to the fierce local talent behind productions like PRIDE: A Runway Revolution, that movement is impossible to ignore. It’s loud. It’s proud. And it’s dancing its way into the city’s cultural identity, one step at a time.
