StL Pridefest @ 30
BY: COLIN MURPHY
As the 30th Annual St. Louis Pridefest approaches, our community finds itself gearing up for what will be the largest celebration yet. One can feel the anticipation and given last year’s historic election, and the fact that the number of states to allow full marriage equality for gay and lesbian couples now stands at five, one can sense the winds of change carrying the day.
St. Louis Pridefest has certainly evolved over the past three decades. We now have high profile corporate sponsors, who through their generosity allow our festivities to garner national acclaim by featuring renowned entertainers and keynote speakers entertaining and engaging the capacity crowds. This is no small feat considering our fair city lies but a few notches from the buckle of the Bible-belt.
Hence, after 30-years of growing pains, infighting and trial and error, it seems we’ve nearly perfected the formula for a successful St. Louis Pridefest that can proudly stand in comparison to any nationwide.
Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) Pride Celebrations in the Gateway City were born of rather modest beginnings. (This, according to a very enlightening article written by the late Bill Cordes in the 1992 Pride Guide.)
Arguably, but still debated, the "first” Gay Pride Celebration held in St. Louis was in April 1979 on the campus of Washington University. It was organized by the Missouri Coalition and held in connection with two similar celebrations at other Missouri campuses to ensure that everyone in the Coalition could attend. That first year there was no march or parade, but one could find the usual “lobby area” with local organizations displaying their paraphernalia and literature. There were speakers and workshops and the usual fanfare of food and drink. The highlight of the event was a dance sponsored by the Wash. U. student groups. Interestingly enough, none of the gay bars of the era were invited to participate for fear of "image problems.”
The following year, St. Louis’ “second” Pride Celebration was sponsored by the “Magnolia Committee” (so called because their meetings were held in an apartment on Magnolia Street.) It was the first time that there was a Gay Pride Parade, of sorts, but to avoid making any waves it was called "Lesbians and Gays Walk for Charity.” (Funds were raised and donated to non-gay charities.) Of the 300 marchers, only half were “family” but there were many lesbian and gay pride signs present that day. Although the march was organized by the Magnolia Committee, another body would organized the after march activities. The April 1980 celebration proved to be a well attended event.
By 1981, the Magnolia Committee banded together with yet another committee and formed the current St. Louis Lesbian and Gay Pride Celebration Committee which was shortened several years ago to “Pride St. Louis, Inc.” Another change worth noting is that the even was moved to June to synchronize it with the rest of the nation’s celebration of the Stonewall Riots of June 27, 1969 which is widely hailed as the catalyst of the modern day gay rights movement.
The 1981 event proved to be the first time there was a unified gay pride march and festival. The parade stopped short of the Wash. U. campus and the festival was held in Forest Park where it would be held annually until the event was moved to "Grand South Grand" and Tower Grove Park in 1998.
Our city’s Pride celebrations have come a long way in a generation. Our metropolitan area has come of age as we revel in its progressive sensibility. Our festivities are first class and our community is engaged and informed.
Still we should never lose sight of the fact that we owe a great debt to the early pioneers of our community who made all of this possible. It’s hard to imagine, but masks had to be provided those first years so that certain participants of the Pride Celebration could hide their identity from the camera’s roving eye. Lest we forget—it was a far more dangerous climate than we live in today and their small steps have led to gigantic leaps in light of the more educated and gay friendly St. Louis that we have to celebrate and live in.
This June we gather to embrace our culture, our history and our tribe. Indeed, we have a great deal to celebrate. But we also have our own chapter to write and that is to see the fight for full equality under the law to its end. Accordingly, we must continue to organize, politicize, and solidify as one queer voice to ensure our advancement not only as GLBT Missourians, but GLBT Americans. There is still a great deal left to be done, but with key allies in positions of power, our time has come. Happy Pride!
You can email Colin Murphy at colin_murphy@sbcglobal.net
