Pride Week 1973 was a national

LGBT rights Rights affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people vary greatly by country or jurisdiction—encompassing everything from the legal recognition of same-sex marriage to the death penalty for homosexuality. Notably, , 33 ...

event in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

, which was held in August 1973.Peters, Rob
"Pride and Prejudiced: A history of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender milestones, in Vancouver and around the world"
''

The Tyee The Tyee is an independent online daily news source primarily based in Vancouver, British Columbia. It was founded in November 2003 as an alternative to "corporate media". Articles in The Tyee focus on politics, culture, and life. The Tyee was f ...

'', August 4, 2006. Accessed on September 25, 2008. The event, which took place from August 19 to 26, was marked by LGBT-themed programming in several Canadian cities, including

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

Saskatoon Saskatoon () is the largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It straddles a bend in the South Saskatchewan River in the central region of the province. It is located along the Trans-Canada Hig ...

and

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749,6 ...

. Programming included an

art festival An arts festival is a festival that can encompass a wide range of art forms including music, dance, film, fine art, literature, poetry and isn't solely focused on visual arts. Arts festivals may feature a mixed program that include music, lite ...

, a dance, picnic, a screening of a documentary and a rally for

gay rights Rights affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people vary greatly by country or jurisdiction—encompassing everything from the legal recognition of same-sex marriage to the death penalty for homosexuality. Notably, , 3 ...

that occurred in all the participating cities. The event was, however, a one-off event which did not directly result in the creation of an annual

LGBT pride LGBT pride (also known as gay pride or simply pride) is the promotion of the self-affirmation, dignity, equality, and increased visibility of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people as a social group. Pride, as opposed to sham ...

festival in any of the participating cities. Although all do now have annual pride festivals, each of those was created later on as a local initiative rather than evolving directly out of the 1973 program. In Vancouver over 300 people attended the arts festival and dance of the first day of the week, and many of them attended the rally on the steps of the courthouse on the following day. The initial events are also said to have been attended by straight onlookers. The rally on August 25 marked the protest aspect of the otherwise celebratory. The aim of the protest was to “hear something of the growth of the gay movement and to declare their determination to continue the struggle.”“Festive Solidarity Marks Gay Pride Week.” '' Gay Tide'', October 1973, p5. In general the week combined elements of commemoration, celebration and protest for further change. The Pride Week of 1973 marks the shift in Vancouver from the homophile movement into the

gay liberation movement The gay liberation movement was a social and political movement of the late 1960s through the mid-1980s that urged lesbians and gay men to engage in radical direct action, and to counter societal shame with gay pride.Hoffman, 2007, pp.xi-xiii. ...

. The essence of the homophile movement is that of assimilation into the general society as well as the creation of hidden network for

gays and lesbians Sexuality and gender identity-based cultures are subcultures and communities composed of people who have shared experiences, backgrounds, or interests due to common sexual or gender identities. Among the first to argue that members of sexual m ...

to meet one another and form a community. The gay liberation movement is more active and aims to achieve change through visibility and protest. Pride Week 1973 was clearly a visible event aiming for openness and change, it was also the first one of its kind and is therefore a tangible shift of the mentality of the gay rights movement. This was the first large-scale event organized for the purpose of celebrating the community and actively pressing for change, thus it was a watershed event in the progression of gay liberation in Vancouver. Other cities, such as Toronto, had previously held similar events. For Vancouver, and others, it was a first. Pride Week 1973 also marked the emergence of the concept of

gay pride LGBT pride (also known as gay pride or simply pride) is the promotion of the self-affirmation, dignity, equality, and increased visibility of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people as a social group. Pride, as opposed to sham ...

and the first

Pride Parade A pride parade (also known as pride march, pride event, or pride festival) is an outdoor event celebrating lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer culture, queer (LGBTQ) social and self-acceptance, achievements, LGBT rights by country o ...

like event in Vancouver. The rally was, although not flamboyantly colourful as pride parades are today, a typical parade of the time. It marked visibility and unity on part of the

gay community The LGBT community (also known as the LGBTQ+ community, GLBT community, gay community, or queer community) is a loosely defined grouping of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and other queer individuals united by a common culture and social ...

, it celebrated the difference of the members of the community and aimed to incite change. However, it wasn't until 1978 that the pride parade was organized in and of itself. Due to the collaboration of Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and the other cities to organize Pride Week together, the event marks the unity, visibility and strength of the movement in Canada. It was a noticeable protest on a country wide basis. Thus this event is significant on a number of different levels, as it represents the shift from the homophile movement into the gay liberation movement, it shows the emergence of the concept of gay pride, and it can also be considered to be the first pride parade in Vancouver.

References

Further reading