Gay pride parade winston salem nc
Winston-Salem Pride
By Charles Czysz
In , the organization Equality Winston-Salem organized Winston-Salem Pride, a series of events culminating in a parade through downtown. Advertisements and reports of the event focused on the year gap between the previous pride parade which occurred in , yet there was little information on why there was a 15 year gap[1].
NCPride
NCPride, a state-wide organization promoting unity among and visibility of LGBT people, holds annual pride parades which used to adjust host cities before settling at Duke's East Campus in Durham in Winston-Salem was chosen as the host city for the parade. The organizers expected an attendance of 10, people, but police only half that based on previous parades. Parade attendees placed the figure somewhere between 5, and 10,[2].
Cheryl Hopkins, a co-chairwoman of the parade and its associated events, wrote in a June 7th, article for the Winston-Salem Journal that one of the reasons for holding the parades is to “raise awareness within the community and initiate a dialogue on gay i
June is Pride month, and Winston-Salem will honor the month with a parade and other festivities. We will provide you with all the dates, times, and places for the events and the information you need to participate.
The festive and celebratory nature of the Pride Parade has evolved from its origins. Below is the history of Pride and how it began.
The Stonewall Riots
In the sdelayed s, being openly gay was prohibited in many places. In New York, the very presence of someone gay counted as disorderly conduct, and serving alcohol to gays or lesbians was against local laws, effectively outlawing gay bars. Small groups began forming to protest the discrimination but were largely ignored. Police would raid bars that they knew gays and lesbians frequented and physically remove and arrest them. On June 28, , the NYPD raided the Stonewall Inn, a bar in Greenwich Village, Manhattan, known to have an LGBTQ clientele. As the police dragged the patrons out to put them in the police wagons, they started fighting back. A crowd formed, and the fighting escalated. Protests and fights at the Inn
Winston-Salem to celebrate Pride this Saturday
Tens of thousands of people are expected to march their way through downtown Winston-Salem tomorrow morning in honor of Pride.
Following the parade, there will be bands, drag performers and speakers on two stages along Trade Street. Attendees can also check out more than vendors and 12 food trucks.
Jerry Morin, the president of Pride Winston-Salem, says the day is going to be pleasurable and positive, but it’s been a challenging year.
“We've lost some legacy sponsors that have been with us since simply because the DEI wording in some of the executive actions that this administration has put in place," Morin said.
Several Pride parades across the country are facing financial challenges with sponsors pulling out. But Morin says the organization has been able to budget for the losses.
The parade this year also falls on “No Kings Day.” Activists across the country will be marching in protest of what they say are authoritarian actions under President Donald Trump.
These demonstrations are happening in H