Phoenix Pride (formerly known as Phoenix Pride March & Rally, Desert Pride, Arizona Central Pride, and Phoenix Pride Festival) is a parade and festival held each year in Phoenix, Arizona to celebrate the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBTQ) people and their allies.
Unlike other pride parades in major US cities, which is held in June to commemorate the Stonewall riots, Phoenix Pride has been held outside of the summer months in Arizona since at least 2004, due to high summer temperatures.
History
Phoenix has had a history of hosting gay pride-themed events even before the first pride parade was held in 1981. In June 1977, the first gay pride week was organized in Phoenix by the city's LGBTQ+ community at the time.
The first pride parade in Phoenix took place in 1981, and it was organized by the Lesbian & Gay Pride Planning Committee, which was led by Kirk Baxter and BJ Bud. The first parade was a march from Patriots Square Park (now the site of CityScape) to the Arizona State Capitol. The event was a politically focused march that aimed to bring awareness to LGBT rights issues in the Phoenix area. Newspaper reports at the time estimated 600 to 1,000 people attended the evening march, although later research has put the figure to over 700 people having taken part.
From 1983 to 1985, the march took place on a portion of Phoenix's Central Avenue Corridor, and the event in 1987 became politically focused once again, as it was combined with an event aimed at recalling controversial Governor Evan Mecham.
A non-profit organization was established to coordinate the pride festival in 1991. That same year, after a decade of hosting the event in Phoenix, the pride festival was moved to Tempe Diablo Stadium.
The event was moved to Margaret T. Hance Park in Phoenix in 1998, and moved to Steele Indian School Park in 2003, where it is still being held to this day.
In 2020, the parade and festival was impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, with event organizers saying they will reschedule the event to a time during the fall. Days after the announcement to postpone was made, organizers announced an alternative date of November 7 and 8. 2020's parade was later rescheduled to 2021, in effect cancelling Phoenix Pride for 2020.
On May 30, 2026, Phoenix Pride filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, citing rising operational costs, fundraising challenges and a lack of sponsorships.
Event by year
+Phoenix Pride HistoryYearDatesTheme/SloganLocationNotes1981JuneWe Are HereMarch: Patriots Square Park to Arizona State Capitol, PhoenixKeynote speaker: Lesbian activist Arlie Scott and Leonard Matlovich.1982We are FamilyMarch: Patriots Square Park to Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza, PhoenixKeynote speaker: Charlotte Bunch. 17 people walked to the event from Tucson.1983Uniting for Freedom, Recognition, and UnderstandingMarch: Central Avenue, PhoenixRally: Phoenix Civic Plaza (now Phoenix Convention Center), PhoenixKeynote speaker: David Clarenbach1984Unity and More in ’84March: Central Avenue, PhoenixRally: Phoenix Civic Plaza (now Phoenix Convention Center), PhoenixKeynote speaker: Flo Kennedy1985Our Future in Our HandsMarch: Central Avenue, PhoenixKeynote speaker: John Heilman1986Phoenix Pride EmergingEvent: South Mountain Park, PhoenixKeynote speaker: Cleve Jones1987Silent No More / Hands Across the CapitolRally: Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza, PhoenixParticipants held hands, and surrounded the Arizona State Capitol.1988Unity ’88Festival: Phoenix Civic Plaza (now Phoenix Convention Center), PhoenixKeynote speaker: Carolyn Warner.1989Stonewall RememberedMarch: Patriots Square Park to Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza, PhoenixRally: Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza, PhoenixKeynote speaker: Karen Thompson.1990A New Decade of PrideFestival: El Lienzo Charro Rodeo Grounds, PhoenixKeynote speaker: Lynn Lavner.1991Desert Pride: It's HotFestival: Kiwanis Park, Tempe1992Pride = Power: A Simple Matter of JusticeFestival: Tempe Diablo Stadium, Tempe1993A Family of PrideFestival: Tempe Diablo Stadium, Tempe1994Stonewall 25: A Global Celebration of PrideFestival: Tempe Diablo Stadium, TempeFestival expands to becoming a three-day event.1995Discover PrideFestival: Tempe Diablo Stadium, Tempe1996May 31 – June 2Discover: Pride Without BordersFestival: Tempe Diablo Stadium, Tempe1997June (Festival)April (Parade)Pride...Equality Through VisibilityFestival: Tempe Diablo Stadium, Tempe1998Pride 98...A Gateway to ChangeFestival: Margaret T. Hance Park, Phoenix1999Millions of Lives...One Voice in PrideFestival: Margaret T. Hance Park, PhoenixFirst year of 5K Pride Run2000April 14 (Pageant) April 15 (Parade)One Heart, One Mind, One Vision, Take Pride, Take Joy, Take ActionFestival: Margaret T. Hance Park, PhoenixThe Transgender Pride Flag made its debut during this year's event.2001JuneWhat Part of Equal Don't You UnderstandFestival: Margaret T. Hance Park, Phoenix2002For One Day Feel Like the MajorityFestival: Margaret T. Hance Park, Phoenix2003Let Your Pride Be Your GuideFestival: Steele Indian School Park, PhoenixFirst year the pride parade headed in a northerly direction.2004April 3 (Parade)April 4 (Festival)Celebrating Rainbow Flag 25Festival: Steele Indian School Park, PhoenixFirst ever Phoenix Gay Pride Week proclamation made by then Mayor Phil Gordon.2005April 2 (Parade)April 2–3 (Festival)25 Years of Pride in PhoenixFestival: Steele Indian School Park, Phoenix5K Pride Run held on April 3.2006April 1 (Parade)April 1–2 (Festival)10th Annual ParadeParade: 3rd Street, PhoenixFestival: Steele Indian School Park, Phoenix5K Pride Run held on April 2.2007April 14 (Parade)April 14–15 (Festival)Over The TopParade: 3rd Street, PhoenixFestival: Steele Indian School Park, Phoenix5K Pride Run held on April 15.2008April 14 (Parade)April 14–15 (Festival)The Celebration Starts Here! (Parade)More Color, More Voices, More Pride! (Festival)Festival: Steele Indian School Park, Phoenix2009April 18 (Parade)April 18–19 (Festival)Celebrate Community, Celebrate Family, Celebrate YOU!Festival: Steele Indian School Park, PhoenixPride Gala organized for the first time in June, as well as the first OUTdayPHX in October.2010April 17 (Parade)April 17–18 (Festival)1 Community. 3 Decades. 4 PrideFestival: Steele Indian School Park, PhoenixParade sponsored by Verizon Wireless.2011April 16 (Parade)April 16–17 (Festival)Do Ask. Do Tell. Be ProudFestival: Steele Indian School Park, Phoenix2012April 21 (Parade)April 21–22 (Festival)Born This Way. Feel It. Live It. Be It. Proud!Festival: Steele Indian School Park, Phoenix2013April 6 (Parade)April 6–7 (Festival)Equality & Justice For AllFestival: Steele Indian School Park, Phoenix2014April 5 (Parade)April 5–6 (Festival)Be Heard, Stay Strong, Be YouFestival: Steele Indian School Park, PhoenixCelebrity Grand Marshal: Brittney Griner2015April 12 (Parade)April 11–12 (Festival)Passionate, Powerful & ProudFestival: Steele Indian School Park, PhoenixParade moved to a Sunday, for the first time.2016April 3 (Parade)April 2–3 (Festival)Community StrongFestival: Steele Indian School Park, Phoenix2017April 2 (Parade)April 1–2 (Festival)Stand Up, Stand ProudFestival: Steele Indian School Park, Phoenix2018April 8 (Parade)April 7–8 (Festival)United We Stand, Equality For AllFestival: Steele Indian School Park, Phoenix2019April 7 (Parade)April 6–7 (Festival)Celebrating Progress: Past, Present, and FutureFestival: Steele Indian School Park, Phoenix2020CancelledCelebrating 40 Years of FortitudePlanned: Steele Indian School Park, PhoenixEvent originally scheduled for April 4–5. Originally postponed to November 7–8 due to COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, later rescheduled to 2021, in effect a cancellation.2021November 6 (Parade)November 6–7 (Festival)Celebrating 40 Years of FortitudeSteele Indian School Park, PhoenixOriginally scheduled for April 10 and 11, with the parade on April 11. Postponed to November due to ongoing concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.
Criticism Activists who disrupted 2017's pride parade have criticized Phoenix Pride as being overly commercialized, in its present form, and accused organizers of straying from its original theme of standing up for the rights of people. Similar criticisms have been leveled against other pride parades around the country.
References
External links
Official Website