Twin Cities Pride

Last updated
Twin Cities Pride
Twin Cities Pride Parade Banner 2012 7435013100.jpg
Parade banner (2012).
FrequencyAnnually in June
Location(s) Minneapolis, Minnesota
Attendance600,000
Website tcpride.org

Twin Cities Pride, sometimes Twin Cities LGBT Pride, is an American nonprofit organization in Minnesota that hosts an annual celebration each June that focuses on the LGBT community. The celebration features a pride parade which draws crowds of nearly 600,000 people. [1] [2] The parade was designated the Ashley Rukes GLBT Pride Parade in honor of the late former parade organizer and transgender LGBT rights activist. [3] Other Twin Cities Pride events include a festival in Loring Park and a block party spanning multiple days. [4]

Contents

History

A 1973 march in Minneapolis for 'Gay Pride' Gay Pride march by Jim Chalgren, June 1973.jpg
A 1973 march in Minneapolis for 'Gay Pride'
Gay Pride Day Poster, June 28, 1975 Gay Pride Day Poster, Minneapolis, Minnesota, June 28, 1975.png
Gay Pride Day Poster, June 28, 1975

The Twin Cities Pride festival arose from a 50-person protest 1972 protest march in Minneapolis on the Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis, commemorating the third anniversary of the Stonewall riots. [5] [6] In 1973 pride events in Minnesota consisted of a "Gay Pride Week" including a picnic, a march, a dance, a softball game, and canoeing, featuring 150 attendees. [6] 1974's pride event included the first transgender speaker. [7]

In 1981 the name was changed to "Lesbian-Gay Pride." However, Stewart Van Cleve, author of "Land of 10,000 Loves: A History of Queer Minnesota" says, "there was a lot of sexism at the time towards women, in a lot of LGBTQ+ organizations," and "Lesbian" was removed from the title changing the name back to "Gay Pride" in 1982. [8] This lead to a split and the formation of an independent Lesbian Pride celebration at Powderhorn Park in Minneapolis. [6] In 1983, the two events reunified to form "Lesbian and Gay Pride" and was accompanied by the historic closure of a Minneapolis street for the Parade. [6] [8]

Tensions also arose around the AIDS crisis, with a 1985 attempt to charge an entrance fee to the festival sparking public backlash. [8]

The 1990s saw expansion of Twin Cities Pride activities, including vendor stalls and non-profit booths. [7] [9] The name of the organization was officially changed to "The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Committee" in 1993, one of the first pride event organizations to add bisexual and transgender to its name. [6] Multiple music stages were added in the mid-1990s; attendance in 1995 reached 100,000. [9]

2010s

Events organized in June by Twin Cities Pride in the mid-2010s include family picnics, music concerts, a 5K run, and a festival featuring hundreds of exhibitors and vendors. [10] Protests in 2017 and 2018 highlighted ongoing tensions around police involvement in the parade. In 2017, a group of Black Lives Matter protesters briefly halted the LGBT Parade. They objected to police involvement in the parade after St. Anthony, MN, police officer Jeronimo Yanez's recent acquittal of killing of Philando Castile. In response to the protest, officers marched midway through the parade rather than at the front as planned. [11] [12] Twin Cities Pride parades now attract almost 400,000 viewers in its route along Hennepin Avenue in downtown Minneapolis. [13] In 2018, a protest delayed the parade by an hour. [14]

2020s

In the wake of George Floyd's death in 2020 by Minneapolis police, the Twin Cities Pride festival faced controversy regarding police presence in the parade. Organizers cancelled their virtual event and endorsed an alternate "Taking Back Pride" march centering Black transgender people and protesting police involvement. This action reflected tensions within the LGBTQ+ community. Some felt traditional Pride celebrations did not adequately address police brutality against Black people, particularly Black LGBTQ+ individuals. The controversy highlighted the complex relationship between LGBTQ+ liberation and broader social justice movements. [15] [16]


Archives

The archives of Twin Cities Pride, along with material from Twin Cities-area LGBT activists and Pride festival attendees, are held in the Jean-Nickolaus Tretter Collection in Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Studies at the University of Minnesota Libraries. [6]

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, which was 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, New York City, Los Angeles, 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, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, with five million attending in Manhattan alone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT culture</span> Common culture shared by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people

LGBT culture is a culture shared by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer individuals. It is sometimes referred to as queer culture, while the term gay culture may be used to mean either "LGBT culture" or homosexual culture specifically.

<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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Capital Pride (Ottawa)</span> Annual LGBT pride week festival in Ottawa, Ontario

Ottawa Capital Pride is an annual LGBT pride event, festival, and parade held in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, and Gatineau, Quebec, from mid to late August. Established in 1986, it has evolved into a 7 to 9-day celebration of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, advocating for equality, diversity, and inclusion in the National Capital Region. The festival offers bilingual events in English and French, known as 'Capital Pride / Fierté dans la capitale', seamlessly blending local pride with national importance.

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

Indy Pride Festival 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">East-Central Minnesota Pride</span> Annual LGBT pride celebration in Pine City, Minnesota

East-Central Minnesota Pride is the yearly celebration of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) residents in the rural area near Pine City, Minnesota, United States. At the time of its inception, it was the first rural community in the U.S. to hold a Pride It was also the first pride gathering held outside of a metropolitan area in Minnesota. The celebration is held during the first weekend in June in Pine City, Minnesota.

<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">Jean-Nickolaus Tretter Collection in Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Studies</span>

The Jean-Nickolaus Tretter Collection in Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Studies is a collection of LGBT historical materials housed in the Special Collections and Rare Books section of the University of Minnesota Libraries. It is located underground in the Elmer L. Andersen special collections facilities on the University of Minnesota's Minneapolis campus. The Tretter Collection houses over 40,000 items, making it the largest LGBT archive in the Upper Midwest and one of the largest GLBT history collections in the United States. The collection, which was created by Jean-Nickolaus Tretter, is international in scope and is varied in media.

<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 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">Stonewall Columbus</span> LGBT organization in Columbus, Ohio

Stonewall Columbus is a nonprofit organization serving the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) population of Columbus, Ohio. The organization is located in the Short North district of Columbus.

<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. Between 350,000-500,000 people attend the two day festival and grand parade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Straight pride</span> Countermovement to LGBTQ+ pride movements and events

Straight pride is a reactionary slogan that arose in the 1980s and early 1990s and has primarily been used by social conservatives as a political stance and strategy. The term is described as a response to "gay pride", a slogan adopted by various groups in the early 1970s, or to the accommodations provided to gay pride initiative.

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

The Berlin Pride Celebration, also known as Christopher Street Day Berlin, or CSD Berlin, is a pride parade and festival held in the second half of July each year in Berlin, Germany to celebrate the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) people and their allies. Since 1979, the event has been held each year. Berlin Pride is one of the largest gay and lesbian organized events in Germany and one of the biggest in Europe. Its aim is to demonstrate for equal rights and equal treatment for LGBT people, as well as celebrate the pride in Gay and Lesbian Culture.

<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 and most prominent LGBTQ+ populations. 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">Hamburg Pride</span> Annual LGBT event in Hamburg, Germany

The Hamburg Pride Celebration, usually known as CSD Hamburg, is a parade and festival held at the end of July each year in Hamburg to celebrate the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people and their allies, as part of international LGBTQ pride and Christopher Street Day festivities. Since 1980, the event has been held each year. Hamburg Pride is one of the many gay and lesbian organized event in Hamburg. Its aim is to demonstrate for equal rights and equal treatment for LGBT people, as well as celebrate the pride in Gay and Lesbian Culture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quatrefoil Library</span> Non-profit LGBTQ library in Minneapolis

Quatrefoil Library is a member-supported, 501(c)(3) non-profit library and community center for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community. It is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where it was founded by David Irwin and Dick Hewetson in 1983. It is the second LGBT lending library in the United States, and the oldest such library in the Upper Midwest. In the beginning, it was not only an educational resource center but also a safe space for LGBT people. The library houses over 15,000 books, 7,000 DVDs, a collection of first editions and rare books, and books in braille. It hosts poetry readings, panel discussions, book launches, and other events, open to all.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrea Jenkins</span> American writer and politician

Andrea Jenkins is an American politician, writer, performance artist, poet, and transgender activist. She is known for being the first Black openly transgender woman elected to public office in the United States, since January 2018 on the Minneapolis City Council and as the council's president from January 2022 to January 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT culture in Washington, D.C.</span>

In Washington, D.C., LGBT culture is heavily influenced by the U.S. federal government and the many nonprofit organizations headquartered in the city.

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

Pride Month, sometimes specified as LGBT Pride Month, is a monthlong observance dedicated to the celebration of LGBT pride, commemorating the contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) culture and community. Pride Month is observed in June in the United States, coinciding with the anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall riots, a series of gay liberation protests.

References

  1. ↑ "Alterna-Pride". Star Tribune. August 17, 2012. Retrieved 2016-06-18.
  2. ↑ Cooper, Renee (2024-06-29). "600,000 expected at 2024 Twin Cities Pride Festival". KSTP.com 5 Eyewitness News. Retrieved 2024-07-13.
  3. ↑ Friedman, Marc (16 June 2012). "Guide To The Twin Cities Pride Festival". CBS Minnesota. WCCO. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
  4. ↑ "Big Twin Cities Pride events". Star Tribune. June 26, 2014. Retrieved 2016-06-18.
  5. ↑ Quatrefoil Library. "History of the Gay Movement in Minnesota and the Role of the Minnesota Civil Liberties Union" (PDF). Quatrefoil Library. p. 33. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Vecoli, Lisa (June 25, 2015). "Time for Pride!". continuum. University of Minnesota Libraries. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
  7. 1 2 "Twin Cities Pride Festival". OutHistory.org. Archived from the original on June 21, 2013. Retrieved 18 June 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  8. 1 2 3 Cassel, Em (2022-06-17). "Taking Pride: A History of Twin Cities Pride at 50". Minnesota Monthly. Retrieved 2024-07-13.
  9. 1 2 Kooren, Jana (June 17, 2016). "A Brief History of Pride". American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota. Archived from the original on 2015-09-27. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
  10. ↑ "Press Room". Twin Cities Pride. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
  11. ↑ Xaykaothao, Doualy (25 June 2017). "Protesters briefly halt Pride parade". MPR News. Retrieved 1 July 2017..
  12. ↑ Littlefield, Susan-Elizabeth (25 June 2017). "Pride Parade Halted Briefly By Black Lives Matter Demonstrators". CBS Minnesota. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
  13. ↑ "Minneapolis Pride Parade fills streets with rainbow colors". Twin Cities Pioneer Press. June 27, 2015. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
  14. ↑ "'Pride, not prejudice': Despite protest, Pride parade proceeds". Star Tribune .
  15. ↑ "LGBTQ Pride at 50: Focus shifts amid pandemic, racial unrest". AP News. 2020-06-26. Retrieved 2024-07-13.
  16. ↑ "Pride celebration takes on new meaning this year". MPR News. 2020-06-27. Retrieved 2024-07-13.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.