Pride in the Desert
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Pride in the Desert is the annual LGBTQ pride event for Tucson, Arizona.[1]
Similar to Phoenix Pride, Tucson does not hold a pride parade in the traditional month of June, due to high summer temperatures in Arizona.[2]
History
The history of gay pride events in Tucson began after the 1976 murder of Richard Heakin.[1] Heakin, who lived in Nebraska, visited a friend in Tucson and was beaten to death by four teenagers while exiting a bar named Stonewall Tavern. The attackers were subsequently tried as juveniles, and sentenced to probation.[2] Heakin's murder became a motivation behind the foundation of Tucson Pride.[1]
The first Tucson pride event, organized by an organization named Tucson Gay Coalition, was named the Gay Pride Festival & Memorial Picnic . It happened at Himmel Park on June 26, 1977, also the National Gay Pride Day that year.[3]
In 1982, the Tucson Gay Pride Festival was cancelled amidst a statewide call to fight against LGBT discrimination and oppression, and the event was turned into a civil rights march from Tucson to Phoenix.[3]
Beginning in 1994, pride in Tucson is held in October.[2]
Over the years, Pride in the Desert has become a more family-centric theme.[2]
External links
References
- ^ a b c "About Tucson Pride". Tucson Pride. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
- ^ a b c d Cruz, Veronica M. (October 8, 2009). "Community forged by tragedy". Arizona Daily Star. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
- ^ a b "1969-1984 · LGBT History in Arizona". ASU Library. Arizona State University. Retrieved March 18, 2020.