BY BRIAN CINA & MEG TAMULONIS here were you on June 25, 1983? That was the day that 300 (or 400 or 500, depending on which newspaper you read or who you ask) people gathered at City Hall Park in Burlington to celebrate Lesbian and Gay Pride Day. The rally and parade made the front page of the Burlington Free Press, which reported (in slightly surprised tones) that the events were “without incident.” The idea for the celebra- tion came from a dedicated group of women working at Commonwomon (the earliest Vermont women’s newspaper), who had the idea that Vennont needed a Lesbian and Gay Pride celebration and applied for a grant from the Haymarket Fund in order to make it possible. They Small, Tasteful Sign for Lesbian and Gay Rights.” Organizers had request- ed the Burlington City Council to proclaim Gay and Lesbian Pride Day, attracting attention (and per- haps some ire) to the celebration. Vermont lesbians and gays were demanding recognition and sup- port from Vermont society. The significance of this event is tremendous, considering the social climate in Vermont in 1983. Before the 1983 Pride celebration, many people in Vermont had little idea about the lives of the many gays and les- bians in the state. The original gathering was about making gays and lesbians visible in the streets, an effort to open the minds of Vermonters to the reality of gay and lesbian life. Pride gave gays and lesbians an opportunity to express themselves as individuals as well as a community. some members of the community felt at first that Pride was dangerous. People were afraid or anxious about participating in the march. invited local men to participate in the planning and the festivities. They also asked for and received the support of straight allies. Lesbians and gays had been actively involved in many difier- ent social movements _in Vermont, ' and they now felt that they need- ed support for their own move- ment. This original Lesbian and Gay Pride celebration con- sisted of a pre-parade rally, a parade, and an open-mike speak- out featuring guest speakers, as well as a picnic and a dance. People in the march carried signs declaring their presence, from “The Burlington Gay Volleyball League” to “Vennont Celebrates Lesbian & Gay Pride 1983” to “A ' riting history is always a work in "pr Some members of that community felt at first that Pride was dangerous. People were afraid or anxious about participat- ing in the march and rally. Marching in the streets of Burlington — with the possibility of friends, relatives, and co-work- ers seeing you — would be a very different experience from march- ing in the streets of a larger city such as New York or San Francisco. Some people stood on tagsidelines, part of the commu- nity but not quite ready to fislly participate. There were threats of violence, but the support of local police helped to quell unease. At that time there was no civil rights law, no hate crime law, and no bsolute ogress, especially when it is so recent. 1 and we continue to research. and talk to s many people.as,p sense of how the public would respond to the event. It took a tremendous amount of courage for each person to step out and move from spectator to partici- pant, and year after year more and more people joined in. After only a few years, it was obvious that the Lesbian and Gay Pride celebrations had been a turning point in the community. People were propelled to become more visible, which created risks, which in turn became a catalyst for social change. By 1986, several hun- dred people gathered in Burlington, and were addressed Vermont Governor Madeline Kunin. Signs declared that there was “No Turning Back.” The late 1980s also saw more members of the community grappling with AIDS, a concern reflected by some of the banners and marchers in the parade. In 1987, the Pride theme was “Now More Than Ever” as lesbians and gays sought visibili- ty and support. From 1988 to 1990, Pride moved to Montpelier, the state capital, and took on an even more political significance. The state civil rights/anti-discrim- ination law was introduced in 1988 and passed in 1992. Pride celebrations moved back to Burlington in 1991, where the rally was addressed by Burlington Mayor Peter Clavelle, who had marched in the parade. In 1993, Vermont Pride festivities were held for their eleventh year, with the uniquely Vermont slogan “Proud Not Cowed” and thousands of atten- dees. In 1997, the first Vermont Dyke March was held in Burlington before the official Pride festivities. ‘Jr.-. Pride has grown larger and more diverse year by year, changing from _a celebration of lesbians and gays to a celebration of gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgender people. In the year 2000, Pride Vermont moved even farther, encompassing questioning and allied people in its official name. In addition to hosting a statewide gathering in Burlington, the Pride Vermont committee began to plan smaller events in communities spread across the state as part of the Thirty Days of Pride program. The passing of the Civil Unions law in 2000 occurred the same year as the largest Pride celebration that Burlington had ever before seen. Over the course of twen- ty years, Pride has grown from a small Burlington celebration to a large statewide celebration, but its primary significance has not changed very much. Pride contin- ues to be a way for the communi- ty to be visible and spread under- standing throughout mainstream society, demanding recognition for accomplishments and cele- brating our very existence. This year, the 20th Pride celebration will be held. The many people attending will not be very different from the first few hundred who gathered in Burlington’s City Hall Park in 1983. There will still be few peo- ple on the sidelines, fearful about joining the celebrations. There will still be a few hecklers, ques- tioning the rights of those march- ing. Lesbians and gays and bisex- uals and transgendered people and intersexed people, question- ing people and their allies will gather in order to celebrate their accomplishments over the past year. And we will all be more vis- ible. V 1 Brian Cina has worked on Pride Vermont for three years. Meg Tamulonis is part of the Vermont Queer Archives of the RU12? Community Center. >>>>>>>> From the mists of the distant past comes the Pride Celebration timeline this is only a partial list- ing of the actual goings on. It may be “recent” history, but it's a complex one and we need your help in adding to it. We have tried to include dates, locations, estimated number of attendees, and themes. utcl OF GAY AND LESBIAN 20 YEARS PRIDE IN VERMONT: 1 9 . June 25 in Burlington “Water Won‘t Run Straight and Neither Will We" 300-400 people Rally, parade, picnic, dance City Hall Park 1984: 1 985: ' June 22 in Burlington 400+ people City Hall Park 1 986: June 14 in Burlington “No Turning Back" 600+ people Address by Gov. Madeline Kunin 1 987: June 20 in Burlington "Now More Than Ever’ 400 people Burlington ' 1 988: June 11 in Montpelier “Celebrate” 1 989: June 24 in Montpelier “We Are Your Neighbors" “... in front ol the Statehouse that said no to your civil rights" 1 990: June 23 in Montpelier “Into the 90s” 200-700 people 1 991 : June 22 in Burlington 400-1200 people Address by Burlington Mayor Peter Clavelle 1 992: June 6 in Montpelier "A Decade Of Growing Visible Making A Difference" 350 people 1 993: June 26 in Burlington “Proud Not Cowed" 1000-2000 people 1 994: June 4 in Burlington Ftally @ UU Church 1 995: June 3 in Burlington Queers and Friends Fight the Flight Rally @ UU Church 1 996: June 15 in Burlington 500-700 people 1 997: June 21 in Burlington 2000 people 1st Dyke March (70 women) 1 998: June 20 in Burlington 800 people 1 999: 2000: Burlington Let Freedom Ring 3000 people 200 1 : Burlington A Family Reunion 1000-2000 Burlington This overview only scratches the surface of a_ history that goes backwell over twenty