Michigan Pride is an annual
LGBT Pride
In the context of LGBTQ culture, pride (also known as LGBTQ pride, LGBTQIA pride, LGBT pride, queer pride, gay pride, or gay and lesbian pride) is the promotion of the rights, self-affirmation, dignity, equality, and increased visibility o ...
festival and parade held in
Lansing,
Michigan
Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...
every August. The event was held in June from 1990 until 2011.
History
In 1986,
Craig Covey and the
Michigan Organization for Human Rights organized the Michigan Organization for Human Rights March, Michigan’s first gay and lesbian march in
Detroit
Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
. From 1986-1988, the civil rights march took place down Woodward Avenue followed by a rally at Kennedy Square.
A party took place at the McGregor Center on the campus of
Wayne State University
Wayne State University (WSU) is a public university, public research university in Detroit, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1868, Wayne State consists of 13 schools and colleges offering approximately 375 programs. It is Michigan's third-l ...
following the rally, organized by a small number of dedicated gay and lesbian groups and volunteers.
In 1989, the Gay and Lesbian civil rights march was moved to the more central location of Lansing to attract statewide participation and political awareness as well as to celebrate the 20th anniversary of New York City’s
Stonewall Riots
The Stonewall riots (also known as the Stonewall uprising, Stonewall rebellion, Stonewall revolution, or simply Stonewall) were a series of spontaneous riots and demonstrations against a police raid that took place in the early morning hours of ...
.
The event moved from June to August in 2012.
Activities
Michigan Pride includes a parade that concludes in front of the
Michigan State Capitol
The Michigan State Capitol is the building that houses the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is in the portion of the List of U.S. state capitals, state capital of Lansing, Michigan, Lansing which lies in In ...
, and a festival in
Adado Riverfront Park.
The event sometimes includes a
White Party the night before the parade and festival.
A golf outing has been held annually since 2010.
Notable performers and speakers
See also
*
Hotter than July (festival)
*
Motor City Pride
References
External links
*
1989 establishments in Michigan
Culture of Lansing, Michigan
Pride parades in Michigan
Recurring events established in 1989
Festivals established in 1989
{{LGBT-event-stub