There are also now festivals in Southern Indiana towns including Jeffersonville and some farther north in Spencer, Indiana.Īdvocates say it’s a hopeful sign of shifting public attitudes toward gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender residents in Kentucky and other parts of rural America, where more than 2.9 million LGBTQ residents live. In all, they have expanded to nearly 20 towns across the state, said Chris Hartman, Louisville’s Fairness Campaign director. See it: Memorial held in Louisville for victims of the Orlando nightclub shooting Pride movement gains momentum While the state’s largest cities of Louisville and Lexington have held pride festivals for at least a decade, the events have been absent in small-town Kentucky, where more conservative attitudes have held sway.īut that is changing, with pride festivals, picnics and events springing up in a growing number of smaller communities such as Harlan, Owensboro, Madisonville, Berea, Shelbyville and Corbin.Ĭheck out: Everything you need to know about the Kentuckiana Pride Festival "There was a drag show right out in the open, in the middle of Pikeville City Park - in broad daylight," said May, who helped organize what he called "the most meaningful pride festival I’d ever been to." The very first rally was one month after the police raid in 1969.Watch Video: Louisville Pride Week: LGBTQ flag raising led by Mayor Greg Fischerįor Kyle May, growing up gay in his conservative Appalachian town in Eastern Kentucky meant hiding his identity, overhearing slurs and driving 150 miles to a bigger city for LGBTQ events.īut last year his hometown of Pikeville, tucked in the mountains of coal country, drew more than 400 people to its first LGBTQ pride festival - a public celebration he thought he’d never see. Like the NYC Pride March, the event first occurred as a reaction to the Stonewall Riots. Marking the beginning of the weekend’s festivities is the NYC Pride Rally on Friday, June 24th from 7-10pm at Hudson River Park. Now in its 30th year, the event bills itself as “the largest fundraiser for NYC Pride and our LGBT nonprofit grant winners.” Judging by the promotional photos for the dance, it seems like Fergie will be this year’s special performer. From 2-6pm on the same day will be the infamous Dance on the Pier. VIP tickets are also offered for the event for $35. “Clown in a gown” Bianca Del Rio will host PrideFest and Brooklyn-based singer, Parson James is the featured musician. This year will be the 23rd anniversary of the event which features vendors, performers, and activities, with the mission of promoting equality.
GAY PRIDE ORLANDO 2015 FESTIVAL FREE
There will be several other NYC Pride events on Sunday, including PrideFest, a free street festival from 11am-6pm. Attendees are urged to come with as little possessions as possible in order to expedite security checks. In response, NYC Police Commissioner, Bill Bratton, has stated that the police presence will be at a maximum. Many people echo this sentiment and due to this, the NYC Pride March is expected to have the largest turnout in history. The reason for this is simple: we must never let those who wish to silence us win.” “All events will continue to go on as scheduled. In response to Orlando, Heritage of Pride, the organizers of NYC Pride released the following statement: The weekend after the massacre, thousands gathered at the Stonewall Inn to mourn but many, many, more people are expected on Sunday to march in solidarity with the 49 deceased victims of the attack, celebrate the community, and combat fear. This year the horrific June 12th shooting at Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, adds an incredibly heavy layer of meaning to Pride. The raid ignited a firestorm of demonstrations, now known as the Stonewall Riots which are now credited as the beginning of the modern-day Gay Rights Movement. The NYC Pride March has always been incredibly significant in symbolizing the struggles and triumphs of the LGBTQ community and started on June 28, 1970, exactly one year after police raided the Stonewall Inn, a historically gay hangout in Greenwich Village, NYC. The civil rights event is the largest of its kind in the United States and starts at noon at 36th Street and Fifth Avenue and ends at Christopher and Greenwich Streets. New York City is gearing up for NYC Pride weekend which revolves around the NYC Pride March this Sunday, June 26th.