The themes included “An Army of Lovers,” that was from Walt Whitman. Peck: We raised money back then by selling $2 Pride buttons. We tried it one year - charged a dollar to go to the festival. In Minnesota, people wouldn’t come if they had to pay.
Tretter: Other festivals charge to get in. We scheduled it on the day before the parade, and quickly learned that was wrong because everyone was so hung over and sunburned that nobody showed up the next day. We wanted a beach party down by the river, which was a cruise-y area, the river flats down there, south of Franklin Avenue. But we wanted it to be something people wanted to come to. Tom Burke: Our attitude was that Pride was inherently political. It was proud people holding signs and saying: Yes, we’re here, and we’re good. McConnell: Those first years were celebrations. That’s what I’ve always loved about Pride, feeling that web of connection. The political component was still there, but it was fun, it became a celebration, a time to socialize, see old friends and make new ones. Paul as a place to try to win the repeal of an early gay rights ordinance.Īnyone who was a Target City Coalition regular was duty bound to help out with Pride, which had been more like a march and a protest rally, and then it evolved. I got involved because my old boyfriend Bob Bruneau became the treasurer of Target City Coalition, a 1970s activist group formed to combat antigay crusader and orange juice spokester Anita Bryant. It wasn’t just one focus.Ĭlaude Peck: It was all very grassroots. There was a lesbian resource center at that time and some very brave women held it and we marched for all social causes.
National Park Service – Stonewall National Monument Library of Congress – Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Pride Month To learn more about the history of LGBTQ+ rights movement and Pride Month, the following dedicated websites and resources listed below are available: If you have not previously received an AFA Pride pin, please contact your Local Council office. As our ongoing support of the LGBTQ+ community, Flight Attendants are encouraged to demonstrate their solidarity by proudly displaying the AFA Pride Pin as part of our uniform during the month of June. Contracts) between labor unions and employers were among the first places workers began to see legal protections making it a contract violation to discriminate against an employee based on their sexual orientation or gender identity?īy standing together, we are stronger together. We stand with our brothers, sisters, and family in the LGBTQ+ community, to not only acknowledge this diversity but also the continuing struggle for acceptance and security in the freedoms many might otherwise take for granted.ĭid you know that Collective Bargaining Agreements (a.k.a. Recognizing this diversity makes us stronger. As Flight Attendants who all come from different cultural with varied educational backgrounds, we know that diversity and inclusion make our community great.