Pride festivals originally started over 40 years ago to bring attention to the need for justice -- in fact, it was because of the determination of a group of marginalized people that the fight for dignity and freedom from unequal treatment began. The effort to fight prejudice and publicly show LGBT pride led to the start of a political movement that is still calling for justice today.Since the first Pride march in 1970, we've come a long way -- creating a grassroots movement that is bringing us closer and closer to being full and equal participants in American life. And over the past 40+ years, Pride festivals have shifted from primarily political to primarily social -- creating a much-needed space for folks to celebrate the full diversity of the LGBT community.
That social celebration is important -- but we still need the political if we're truly going to get to full legal and social equality.
Last year, a group of LGBT activists started an effort to "Take Back Pride" -- building on the all-important social celebrations by also incorporating political activism. This year, we're sustaining that effort and asking members of the GetEQUAL community to join our GetEQUAL Street Teams at Pride festivals across the country, reaching out to folks who might not have been asked to join this grassroots movement yet.
We have organizers across the country coordinating this effort, but they need your support to collect the boots on the ground who are willing to plan, organize and take the action that is needed to demand our fair and equal treatment under the law.
We need YOUR help to make that happen!
We'll be at Pride celebrations from California to New Mexico to Texas to Tennessee, and we hope you'll join our GetEQUAL Street Teams as we work to build a grassroots movement of people who -- just like those who stood up and fought back over 40 years ago -- are still demanding our equality today!
Get Out! Get Active! GetEQUAL!
Robin McGehee, Director
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