PrideFest St. Louis is an annual LGBT pride event in

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...

. The event is organized by Pride St. Louis, an LGBT non-profit organization in the Greater St. Louis area.

Overview

PrideFest St. Louis began in 1980 as the ''St. Louis Gay and Lesbian Pride Celebration''. The theme began as "Celebration of Lesbian and Gay Pride" in 1980 and 1981, and changes yearly. The event is held annually during the last full weekend of June The 2017 event took place on June 23, with

Cleve Jones Cleve Jones (born October 11, 1954) is an American AIDS and LGBT rights activist. He conceived the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt, which has become, at 54 tons, the world's largest piece of community folk art as of 2020. In 1983, at the onset ...

as the parade's

Grand Marshal Grand marshal is a ceremonial, military, or political office of very high rank. The term has its origins with the word "marshal" with the first usage of the term "grand marshal" as a ceremonial title for certain religious orders. The following ...

. The 2018 event took place on June 23 once again in Downtown Saint Louis, at Soldiers Memorial. The theme was "Remember. Rise. Respect."

Angelica Ross Angelica Ross (born November 28, 1980) is an American actress, businesswoman, and transgender rights advocate. A self-taught computer programmer, she went on to become founder and CEO of TransTech Social Enterprises, a firm that helps employ tra ...

was Grand Marshal. The 2019 event - They have taken down the STL city flag during Pride month and replaced it with the transgender and gay flag. The parade's Grand Marshal, Metro Trans Umbrella Group, resigned after the decision to ask police to not wear uniforms in the parade was reversed. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, 2020 celebrations were conducted virtually. Organizers originally planned for a live, in-person PrideFest in 2021 but again due to COVID-19 the live event was postponed until 2022.

History

What became known as the ''St. Louis Lesbian & Gay Pride Celebration Committee'' began in 1979, but the first ''St. Louis Gay and Lesbian Pride Celebration'' did not occur until 1980. This event was sponsored by the Magnolia Committee – named for the street where the majority of the members lived and had their meetings. Their combined effort with a second organization resulted in a week's worth of activities held in April 1980. At the end of the week, hundreds gathered for "The Lesbians and Gays Walk for Charity", which went down Lindell Boulevard in the Central West End to Washington University's quadrangle. These two combined groups then became the ''St. Louis Lesbian & Gay Pride Celebration Committee''. At the same time, writer Jim Thomas invited representatives from organizations around town to a meeting to begin discussions for an annual celebration. It was to be held in June as a tribute to the Stonewall Riots which occurred the last weekend of June in 1969. Each participating organization, still able to keep their identity in individual events, would form a larger group – creating a greater whole. At the time, the celebration consisted of a picnic in the beginning of the week and a march at the end. Thus began a tradition which is still strong today in St. Louis. June is now known as Gay and Lesbian Pride Month, and since the first PrideFest in 1981, the event has grown in size, attendance, and scope.

Festival

Location

In the 1980s and 1990s, Pride was held in the

Central West End The Central West End is a neighborhood in St. Louis, Missouri, stretching from Midtown's western edge to Union Boulevard and bordering on Forest Park with its outstanding array of free cultural institutions. It includes the Cathedral Basilica of ...

and Forest Park. By the late 1990s, festivities were moved to

Tower Grove Park Tower Grove Park is a municipal park in the city of St. Louis, Missouri. Most of its land was donated to the city by Henry Shaw in 1868. It is on 289 acres (1.17 km²) adjacent to the Missouri Botanical Garden, another of Shaw's legacies. I ...

. In 2013, PrideFest and the annual parade moved to downtown St. Louis. It has since been held at Soldiers Memorial, with the support of local officials, LGBT organizations, and the City of Saint Louis.

Attendance

Parade

The Pride Parade has served as a method for legislators and candidates to illustrate their support of the LGBT community. The parade also serves as a means to showcase the creative talents and service hundreds of LGBT-friendly businesses, non-profit organizations, and community groups, as they spread their message to all who attend. When on South Grand, the parade started from South Grand Blvd and Utah Street, passing Arsenal Street to

. The parade route is now along Market Street in Downtown St. Louis.

References

External links

Pride St. Louis official site
{{LGBT LGBT in Missouri Culture of St. Louis Festivals in Missouri Pride parades in the United States PrideFest 1980 establishments in Missouri LGBT culture in St. Louis