SANTA ANA – Carrying a rainbow-colored photo display of a victim in the Orlando massacre, David Cordona choked up as he walked along the gay pride parade route on Main Street.

The 41-year-old Santa Ana resident was one of 49 people holding photos of each victim of the mass shooting, a stark reminder, he said, that the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer communities still have a long way to go before being fully accepted by society.

“I feel like what happened in Orlando was so horrible but it has brought us all together,” said a teary-eyed Cordona, who was carrying a photo of Jean Carlos Perez. “We’re pissed off. I’ve been attending vigil, after vigil, after vigil and will continue to go wherever else I can.

“It’s given me a sense of purpose to fight for our rights.”

As of mid-day Saturday, more than 15,000 people were on hand to celebrate the first large scale Orange County gay pride event in more than a decade, hosted by Orange County LGBT Pride. There have been gay pride marches, festivals and picnics throughout the 1980s and recent years, but from what organizers recall, Saturday’s OC Pride Parade may have been the largest gathering.

Just a few weeks removed from the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history, when a gunman killed 49 people dead and wounded 53 at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Fla., security was heightened at the Santa Ana event. Police officers and black and white cruisers could be seen on every block along the nearly one-mile parade route.

Santa Ana Police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna said Saturday additional uniformed officers and motor officers were tapped for the event; he declined to release further details.

The parade featured a memorial of the Orlando victims, a truck with a large “Live Your Life!” theme and walkers cheering and waving rainbow-colored flags. Longtime local LGBT activist Porfi Alanis serving as grand marshal. Afterwards, the crowd converged at the Yost Theater and the downtown’s east end, filled with music, vendors and the smell of food.

Wearing an “I Love My Gay Son” t-shirt, Michael Richardson, 61, of Laguna Niguel, and his wife, Lisa, came to support their 24-year-old son, Taylor, and to raise awareness for PFLAG, an organization of parents that support the LGBTQ community.

“We’ve come a long, long way, but we’ve still got a long, long way to go,” said Michael Richardson, referring to the LGBTQ movement. “But the consciousness is shifting. Unfortunately, when change happens there’s a backlash.”

Linda Dileo of Yorba Linda waved a “Born This Way” flag as the parade moved down Main Street. Dileo, 57, cried when she saw the photos of the Orlando victims and cheered as the parade procession went by. She’s glad the pride festival is back in Orange County and hopes it becomes an annual event.

“I’m here to support my people,” she said.

Karla Bland, 49, held a photo of Akyra Murray, the youngest victim of the Orlando shooting. Bland said the Orlando tragedy awakened the LGBTQ community to the need for gun reform.

“Never forget,” she said. “Never ever forget these faces.”

Staff Writer Tomoya Shimura contributed to this report.

Contact the writer: 714-796-2443 or jpimentel@ocregister.com or follow on Twitter @OCDisney