History of Pride Celebrations Across the Globe

Pride Day has become the primary cultural celebration of GLBT communities around the world. Inspired as a commemoration of the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in New York which gave rise to the modern GLBT rights movement, Pride celebrations occur in all major cities and most smaller communities throughout the United States as well as many countries across the globe. According to Interpride, the international association of Pride Festival organizers, Pride celebrations affect more LGBT people than any other LGBT organization or event – an estimated six million people.

Small Town Pride

In 1991, a group of Olympia-based activists decided it was time to bring Pride home to the small communities where GLBT people live, work and raise their families. Until then, GLBT people traveled hundreds of miles to celebrate Pride in the safety of large cities like Seattle or San Francisco. This initial organizing group included Evergreen students Vikki Marinelli, Tod Streater, Kelly Hawk and Judith Samuels and community-based people Sid Evans and Michael Murphy from the Court of Tacoma and Anna Schlecht who was then active in the local anti-war movement. Together, their efforts produced the first Olympia Pride March that lead from Marathon Park and ended with a rally at the State Capital, drawing a crowd of over 300 people.

Hosting a local Pride celebration in Olympia signaled a major historical shift.  In 1991, the world was a very different place for GLBT people. Few communities had non-discrimination laws, and in places like Olympia, Lacey and Tumwater, the laws that were on the books had yet to inspire an environment of acceptance.  Beyond college campuses, few people lived openly GLBT lives.  Pride celebrations only happened in large cities and people drove hundreds of miles to attend.  This first Pride celebration and those that followed helped to establish a new era in which GLBT people could attain and enjoy the rights as well as the responsibilities of citizenship.

The 1992 Pride Rally and March were organized by a new group of organizers who’s efforts were chronicled in a documentary titled, “Small Town Pride” produced by Olympia-based film makers Marilyn Freeman and Tina Witcher.  By 1993, Capital City Pride was founded with the sole purpose of hosting the annual Pride events.

Ever since the early 90’s, Olympia has hosted a Pride Festival and Parade.  Over the years, the organizing committee has witnessed a succession of volunteers each whom have brought unique skills and community constituency into building up Pride. Over the years, Pride’s growth has traced the arc of maturation of the GLBT rights movement, including all of our growing pains of learning to embrace the diversity of our own gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender family along with building strong community ties to all parts of the greater Olympia community.  We now host Pride as one of the most vibrant Olympia area festivals which draws over 15,000 people and enjoys broad community support.

Pride has grown over the years as the direct result of deep community involvement, with the support of many individuals, organizations and business sponsors.  In recognition of all those who came before us and those we have yet to meet in the grand parade of Pride, we say thanks and we look forward to seeing you at Pride!