Phoenix Pride

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Marchers at 2017's Phoenix Pride Phoenix Pride 2017.jpg
Marchers at 2017's Phoenix Pride

Phoenix Pride (formerly known as Phoenix Pride March & Rally, [1] Desert Pride, [2] Arizona Central Pride, [2] and Phoenix Pride Festival [2] ) is a parade and festival held each year in Phoenix, Arizona to celebrate the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people and their allies.

Contents

Unlike other pride parades in major US cities, which is held in June to commemorate the Stonewall riots, [3] Phoenix Pride has been held outside of the summer months in Arizona since at least 2004, [4] due to high summer temperatures. [5] [6]

History

Phoenix has had a history of hosting gay pride-themed events even before the first pride parade was held in 1981. [1] In June 1977, the first gay pride week was organized in Phoenix by the city’s LGBTQ+ community at the time. [1]

The first pride parade in Phoenix took place in 1981, and it was organized by the Lesbian & Gay Pride Planning Committee, which was led by Kirk Baxter and BJ Bud. [1] The first parade was a march from Patriots Square Park (now the site of CityScape) to the Arizona State Capitol. [4] The event was a politically focused march that aimed to bring awareness to LGBT rights issues in the Phoenix area. [4] Newspaper reports at the time estimated 600 to 1,000 people attended the evening march, [7] although later research has put the figure to over 700 people having taken part. [1]

From 1983 to 1985, the march took place on a portion of Phoenix's Central Avenue Corridor, [4] and the event in 1987 became politically focused once again, as it was combined with an event aimed at recalling controversial Governor Evan Mecham. [4]

A non-profit organization was established to coordinate the pride festival in 1991. [4] That same year, after a decade of hosting the event in Phoenix, the pride festival was moved to Tempe Diablo Stadium. [4]

The event was moved to Margaret T. Hance Park in Phoenix in 1998, and moved to Steele Indian School Park in 2003, where it is still being held to this day. [4]

In 2020, the parade and festival was impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, with event organizers saying they will reschedule the event to a time during the fall. [8] Days after the announcement to postpone was made, organizers announced an alternative date of November 7 and 8. [9] [ non-primary source needed ] 2020's parade was later rescheduled to 2021, in effect cancelling Phoenix Pride for 2020. [10]

Event by year

Immigrant rights protesters managed to disrupt the Pride Parade in 2017. Immigrant Rights Protesters at Phoenix Pride 2017-1.jpg
Immigrant rights protesters managed to disrupt the Pride Parade in 2017.
Phoenix Pride History
YearDatesTheme/SloganLocationNotes
1981June [1] We Are HereMarch: Patriots Square Park to Arizona State Capitol, PhoenixKeynote speaker: Lesbian activist Arlie Scott and Leonard Matlovich. [4]
1982We are FamilyMarch: Patriots Square Park to Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza, PhoenixKeynote speaker: Charlotte Bunch. 17 people walked to the event from Tucson. [4]
1983Uniting for Freedom, Recognition, and UnderstandingMarch: Central Avenue, Phoenix
Rally: Phoenix Civic Plaza (now Phoenix Convention Center), Phoenix		Keynote speaker: David Clarenbach [4]
1984Unity and More in ’84March: Central Avenue, Phoenix
Rally: Phoenix Civic Plaza (now Phoenix Convention Center), Phoenix		Keynote speaker: Flo Kennedy [4]
1985Our Future in Our HandsMarch: Central Avenue, PhoenixKeynote speaker: John Heilman [4]
1986Phoenix Pride EmergingEvent: South Mountain Park, PhoenixKeynote speaker: Cleve Jones [4]
1987Silent No More / Hands Across the CapitolRally: Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza, PhoenixParticipants held hands, and surrounded the Arizona State Capitol. [4]
1988Unity ’88Festival: Phoenix Civic Plaza (now Phoenix Convention Center), PhoenixKeynote speaker: Carolyn Warner. [4]
1989Stonewall RememberedMarch: Patriots Square Park to Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza, Phoenix
Rally: Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza, Phoenix		Keynote speaker: Karen Thompson. [4]
1990A New Decade of PrideFestival: El Lienzo Charro Rodeo Grounds, PhoenixKeynote speaker: Lynn Lavner. [4]
1991Desert Pride: It’s HotFestival: Kiwanis Park, Tempe
1992Pride = Power: A Simple Matter of JusticeFestival: Tempe Diablo Stadium, Tempe
1993A Family of PrideFestival: Tempe Diablo Stadium, Tempe
1994Stonewall 25: A Global Celebration of PrideFestival: Tempe Diablo Stadium, Tempe Festival expands to becoming a three-day event. [4]
1995Discover PrideFestival: Tempe Diablo Stadium, Tempe
1996May 31 – June 2 [11] Discover: Pride Without BordersFestival: Tempe Diablo Stadium, Tempe
1997June (Festival)
April (Parade) [4] 		Pride…Equality Through VisibilityFestival: Tempe Diablo Stadium, Tempe
1998Pride 98…A Gateway to ChangeFestival: Margaret T. Hance Park, Phoenix
1999Millions of Lives…One Voice in PrideFestival: Margaret T. Hance Park, PhoenixFirst year of 5K Pride Run [4]
2000April 14 (Pageant) April 15 (Parade) [12] One Heart, One Mind, One Vision, Take Pride, Take Joy, Take ActionFestival: Margaret T. Hance Park, PhoenixThe Transgender Pride Flag made its debut during this year's event. [13]
2001JuneWhat Part of Equal Don't You UnderstandFestival: Margaret T. Hance Park, Phoenix
2002For One Day Feel Like the MajorityFestival: Margaret T. Hance Park, Phoenix
2003Let Your Pride Be Your GuideFestival: Steele Indian School Park, PhoenixFirst year the pride parade headed in a northerly direction. [4]
2004April 3 (Parade)
April 4 (Festival)		Celebrating Rainbow Flag 25Festival: Steele Indian School Park, PhoenixFirst ever Phoenix Gay Pride Week proclamation made by then Mayor Phil Gordon. [4]
2005April 2 (Parade)
April 2–3 (Festival)		25 Years of Pride in PhoenixFestival: Steele Indian School Park, Phoenix5K Pride Run held on April 3. [4]
2006April 1 (Parade)
April 1–2 (Festival)		10th Annual ParadeParade: 3rd Street, Phoenix
Festival: Steele Indian School Park, Phoenix		5K Pride Run held on April 2. [4]
2007April 14 (Parade)
April 14–15 (Festival)		Over The TopParade: 3rd Street, Phoenix
Festival: Steele Indian School Park, Phoenix		5K Pride Run held on April 15. [4]
2008April 14 (Parade)
April 14–15 (Festival)		The Celebration Starts Here! (Parade)
More Color, More Voices, More Pride! (Festival) [4] 		Festival: Steele Indian School Park, Phoenix
2009April 18 (Parade)
April 18–19 (Festival)		Celebrate Community, Celebrate Family, Celebrate YOU!Festival: Steele Indian School Park, PhoenixPride Gala organized for the first time in June, as well as the first OUTdayPHX in October. [4]
2010April 17 (Parade)
April 17–18 (Festival)		1 Community. 3 Decades. 4 PrideFestival: Steele Indian School Park, PhoenixParade sponsored by Verizon Wireless. [4]
2011April 16 (Parade)
April 16–17 (Festival)		Do Ask. Do Tell. Be ProudFestival: Steele Indian School Park, Phoenix
2012April 21 (Parade)
April 21–22 (Festival)		Born This Way. Feel It. Live It. Be It. Proud!Festival: Steele Indian School Park, Phoenix
2013April 6 (Parade)
April 6–7 (Festival)		Equality & Justice For AllFestival: Steele Indian School Park, Phoenix
2014April 5 (Parade)
April 5–6 (Festival)		Be Heard, Stay Strong, Be YouFestival: Steele Indian School Park, PhoenixCelebrity Grand Marshal: Brittney Griner [4]
2015April 12 (Parade)
April 11–12 (Festival)		Passionate, Powerful & ProudFestival: Steele Indian School Park, PhoenixParade moved to a Sunday, for the first time. [4]
2016April 3 (Parade)
April 2–3 (Festival)		Community StrongFestival: Steele Indian School Park, Phoenix
2017April 2 (Parade)
April 1–2 (Festival)		Stand Up, Stand ProudFestival: Steele Indian School Park, Phoenix
2018April 8 (Parade)
April 7–8 (Festival)		United We Stand, Equality For AllFestival: Steele Indian School Park, Phoenix
2019April 7 (Parade)
April 6–7 (Festival)		Celebrating Progress: Past, Present, and FutureFestival: Steele Indian School Park, Phoenix
2020CancelledCelebrating 40 Years of FortitudePlanned: Steele Indian School Park, PhoenixEvent originally scheduled for April 4–5. Originally postponed to November 7–8 due to COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, [8] later rescheduled to 2021, in effect a cancellation. [10]
2021November 6(Parade)
November 6–7(Festival) [14] 		Celebrating 40 Years of Fortitude Steele Indian School Park, PhoenixOriginally scheduled for April 10 and 11, with the parade on April 11. [10] Postponed to November due to ongoing concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. [14]

Criticism

Activists who disrupted 2017's pride parade have criticized Phoenix Pride as being overly commercialized, in its present form, and accused organizers of straying from its original theme of standing up for the rights of people. [15] Similar criticisms have been leveled against other pride parades around the country. [16]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pride parade</span> LGBTQ celebration event

A pride parade is an event celebrating lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) social and self-acceptance, achievements, legal rights, and pride. The events sometimes also serve as demonstrations for legal rights such as same-sex marriage. Most occur annually throughout the Western world, while some take place every June to commemorate the 1969 Stonewall riots in New York City, a pivotal moment in modern LGBT social movements. The parades seek to create community and honor the history of the movement. In 1970, pride and protest marches were held in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, and San Francisco around the first anniversary of Stonewall. The events became annual and grew internationally. In 2019, New York and the world celebrated the largest international Pride celebration in history: Stonewall 50 - WorldPride NYC 2019, produced by Heritage of Pride commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, with five million attending in Manhattan alone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Francisco Pride</span> Annual LGBTQ+ event in San Francisco, California

The San Francisco Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Celebration, usually known as San Francisco Pride, is a pride parade and festival held at the end of June most years in San Francisco, California, to celebrate the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people and their straight allies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heritage of Pride</span>

Heritage of Pride (HOP), doing business as NYC Pride, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that plans and produces the official New York City LGBTQIA+ Pride Week events each June. HOP began working on the events in 1984, taking on the work previously done by the Christopher Street Liberation Day Committee organizers of the first NYC Pride March in 1970. HOP also took over responsibility for the operations of NYC's Pride Festival and Pride Rally. It was that first march that brought national attention to 1969's Stonewall Riots. The late sixties saw numerous protests and riots across the United States on many social injustices and from general political unrest including the war in Vietnam.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Los Angeles Pride</span> One of the worlds largest LGBTQ events

The LA Pride Festival & Parade, commonly known as LA Pride, is an annual LGBTQ Pride celebration in Los Angeles, California. It is one of the largest LGBTQ Pride events in the world, traditionally held on the second weekend of June, and produced by the Christopher Street West Association.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vancouver Pride Parade</span> Annual LGBT event in British Columbia, Canada

The Vancouver Pride Parade and Festival is an annual LGBT Pride event, held each year in Vancouver, British Columbia, to celebrate lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and their allies. It is run by the Vancouver Pride Society (VPS), a not-for-profit, volunteer-run organization that seeks to "produce inclusive, celebratory events, and advocacy for LGBTQAI2S+". Vancouver's Pride Parade is the largest parade of any kind in Western Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NYC Pride March</span> Event celebrating the LGBTQ community

The NYC Pride March is an annual event celebrating the LGBTQ community in New York City. The largest pride parade in North America and among the largest pride events in the world, the NYC Pride March attracts tens of thousands of participants and millions of sidewalk spectators each June. The parade route through Lower Manhattan traverses south on Fifth Avenue, through Greenwich Village, passing the Stonewall National Monument, site of the June 1969 riots that launched the modern movement for LGBTQ+ rights.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Houston Gay Pride Parade</span> Annual LGBT event in Houston, Texas, US

The Houston Gay Pride Parade is the major feature of a gay pride festival held annually since 1979. The festival takes place in June to celebrate the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and their allies. This event commemorates the 1969 police raid of the Stonewall Inn on Christopher Street in New York City's Greenwich Village neighborhood, which is generally considered to be the beginning of the modern gay rights movement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indy Pride Festival</span> Annual LGBT festival in Indianapolis

Indy Pride Festival, formerly Circle City IN Pride, is the annual week of LGBT pride events in Indianapolis. The week is organized by LGBT organization Indy Pride, Inc., and has been held under this name and organization for over a decade. In recent years, more than 95,000 gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and heterosexual people have attended the festival. Indy Pride's Parade and Festival is held the 2nd Saturday in June, with a week of events leading up to it, in honor of the Stonewall Riots and in accordance with other United States pride festivals. Indy Pride Festival is the largest LGBT pride event in Indiana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT pride</span> Positive stance toward LGBT people

LGBT pride is the promotion of the self-affirmation, dignity, equality, and increased visibility of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people as a social group. Pride, as opposed to shame and social stigma, is the predominant outlook that bolsters most LGBT rights movements. Pride has lent its name to LGBT-themed organizations, institutes, foundations, book titles, periodicals, a cable TV channel, and the Pride Library.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atlanta Pride</span> Annual LGBT event in Atlanta

Atlanta Pride, also colloquially called the Atlanta Gay Pride Festival, is a week-long annual lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) pride festival held in Atlanta, Georgia. Established in 1971, it is one of the oldest and largest pride festivals in the United States. According to the Atlanta Pride Committee, as of 2017, attendance had continually grown to around 300,000. Originally a pride held in June, Atlanta Pride has been held in October every year since 2008, typically on a weekend closest to National Coming Out Day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dublin Pride</span> Annual LGBTQ+ event in Dublin, Ireland

The Dublin LGBTQ+ Pride Festival is an annual series of events which celebrates lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ+) life in Dublin, Ireland. It is the largest LGBTQ+ pride festival on the island of Ireland. The festival culminates in a pride parade which is held annually on the last Saturday in June. The event has grown from a one-day event in 1974 to a ten-day festival celebrating LGBT culture in Ireland with an expanded arts, social and cultural content.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Louis PrideFest</span> Annual event in Missouri

PrideFest St. Louis is an annual LGBT pride event in St. Louis, Missouri. The event is organized by Pride St. Louis, an LGBT non-profit organization in the Greater St. Louis area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cincinnati Pride</span> Festival and celebration in Cincinnati, Ohio

The Cincinnati Pride Parade and Festival is a week-long celebration of the city's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and other identities ([LGBTQ+]) community. The festivities are typically held annually at the end of June but have happened as early as April and as late as July in various locations of Cincinnati, Ohio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Columbus Pride</span> LGBTQ festival in Columbus, Ohio, US

Columbus Pride is an LGBTQ festival in Columbus, Ohio, hosted by Stonewall Columbus. The event first took place in 1981, and has grown into the second largest LGBT pride event in the Midwest, behind Chicago. The pride parades typically include marching bands, firetrucks, motorcycles, and floats covered in rainbow flags or balloons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT culture in New York City</span>

New York City has been described as the gay capital of the world and the central node of the LGBTQ+ sociopolitical ecosystem, and is home to one of the world's largest LGBTQ populations and the most prominent. Brian Silverman, the author of Frommer's New York City from $90 a Day, wrote the city has "one of the world's largest, loudest, and most powerful LGBT communities", and "Gay and lesbian culture is as much a part of New York's basic identity as yellow cabs, high-rise buildings, and Broadway theatre". LGBT travel guide Queer in the World states, "The fabulosity of Gay New York is unrivaled on Earth, and queer culture seeps into every corner of its five boroughs". LGBT advocate and entertainer Madonna stated metaphorically, "Anyways, not only is New York City the best place in the world because of the queer people here. Let me tell you something, if you can make it here, then you must be queer."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Twin Cities Pride</span>

Twin Cities Pride, also known as Twin Cities GLBT Pride, is a nonprofit organization which runs an annual celebration in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota every June focusing on the LGBT community.

Pride in the Desert is the annual LGBTQ pride event for Tucson, Arizona.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">March of Pride (Buenos Aires)</span> Annual LGBT Pride parade in Buenos Aires, Argentina

The March of LGBT Pride is an annual pride parade in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The march promotes the equality and rights of LGBT people. It takes place in November in memory of the creation of the first Argentine and Latin American LGBT organization, Nuestro Mundo, in November 1967.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pride Month</span> Month of celebrating LGBT culture

LGBT Pride Month, often shortened to Pride Month, is a month, typically June, dedicated to celebration and commemoration of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) pride. Pride Month began after the Stonewall riots, a series of gay liberation protests in 1969.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "1969–1984 · LGBT History in Arizona". ASU Library. Arizona State University . Retrieved July 3, 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 "1985–1999 · LGBT History in Arizona". ASU Library. Arizona State University . Retrieved July 3, 2017.
  3. ↑ Battle, Marquaysa (June 1, 2017). "Why Is Pride Month in June? What You Should Know About The Stonewall Riots". Elite Daily . Retrieved June 30, 2017.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 "History – Phoenix Pride". Phoenix Pride. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
  5. ↑ Anderson, J. Seth (June 1, 2012). "Gay History from Phoenix – Sunday's Childe" . Retrieved June 30, 2017.
  6. ↑ "Frequently Asked Questions – Phoenix Pride". Phoenix Pride. Retrieved June 30, 2017. While the riots first occurred in June of 1969, and while many communities across the world annually celebrate Pride celebrations or "Pride" in June, the Phoenix community has adjusted the outdoor event to occur in April which is a month more tolerable to most of its residents and visitors due to the heat.
  7. ↑ Zipser, Andrew (1981). "Gay and proud: First march for homosexual rights brings hundreds to the streets" (JPG). Phoenix Gazette . Retrieved July 3, 2017.[ dead link ]
  8. 1 2 "Valley event cancellations, closures mount amidst coronavirus pandemic". KSAZ-TV. March 13, 2020. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
  9. ↑ "Phoenix Pride announces new date for 2020 festival and parade". Phoenix Pride (via Facebook). March 17, 2020. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
  10. 1 2 3 Wong, Kenneth (October 6, 2020). "No Pride Parade in Phoenix for 2020 amid ongoing COVID-19 pandemic". KSAZ-TV . Retrieved October 6, 2020.
  11. ↑ "Arizona Central pride Festival, 1996". ASU Library. Arizona State University . Retrieved July 3, 2017.
  12. ↑ "One heart one mind one vision! Take pride! Take joy! Take action! 2000". San Diego State University Library Digital Collections. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
  13. ↑ Sankin, Aaron (November 20, 2012). "Transgender Flag Flies in San Francisco's Castro District After Outrage From Activists". HuffPost . Oath Inc. Retrieved July 17, 2017. The trans flag was created by Monica Helms, a transgender woman, in 1999. It was first flown at a pride parade in Phoenix, Ariz., the following year.
  14. 1 2 Wong, Kenneth (February 19, 2021). "Phoenix Pride rescheduled yet again due to ongoing COVID-19 pandemic; will now take place in November". KSAZ-TV . Retrieved March 28, 2021.
  15. ↑ Farzan, Antonia Noori (March 31, 2017). "Is Phoenix Pride Getting Too Corporate?". Phoenix New Times . Retrieved July 1, 2017.
  16. ↑ Morash, Alex (April 26, 2017). "Pride Fests Too Corporate, in Danger of Being Left Behind". The Advocate . Retrieved July 1, 2017.
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