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==History==
From June 24 to 30, 1974, Seattle’s lesbians and gays celebrated the city’s first Gay Pride Week. This was the first event in the region in which the gay community as a whole came out of its collective closet. The week started off Monday evening, June 25 with an Open House and discussion sponsored by the Stonewall Recovery Center, a drug treatment program. June 26 was a discussion on transsexuality at the [[University of Washington]] Hub Ballroom. On the evening of June 27 a Memorial Service was held at the Metropolitan Community Church to commemorate the victims of the 1973 Upstairs Lounge arson attack in the New Orleans gay bar that claimed 32 lives. This was followed by a one-woman show dramatizing the event entitled "Lavender Troubadour" written and performed and sung by Rebecca Valrejean.
OnThe June 28, 1974, thefirst Gay CommunityPride CenterWeek atin 1726Seattle 16th Avenuewas held itsfrom officialJune grand24 opening.to This30, included1974, aby poetrythe readingcity's bylesbian Katherineand Bourne,gay andcommunity. musicIt byincluded Patrickan Haggertyopen andhouse Suehosted Issacs ofby the bandStonewall LavenderRecovery Country.Center, Ona Junediscussion 29,on 1974,transsexuality a Saturday,at the ''[[SeattleUniversity Post-Intelligencerof Washington]]'' reportedHub thatBallroom, aboutand 200a attendedmemorial aservice picnicfor atvictims Occidentalof Parkthe in1973 [[PioneerUpStairs Square,Lounge Seattle|Pioneerarson Squareattack]]. Entertainmentin included[[New music and a "Gayrilla theaterOrleans]]." BannersThe fromcity's theGay stageCommunity readCenter "Proudopened toon beJune lesbian,28 Proudand towas be gay." Infollowed the afternoon,next activitiesday movedby toa Volunteer200-person Parkpicnic andat included[[Occidental roller-skatingPark]] andin a[[Pioneer singSquare, alongSeattle|Pioneer atSquare]]. theThe toppicnic ofmoved theto [[Volunteer Park Water(Seattle)|Volunteer Tower.Park]] Thatin evening,the aafternoon streetand dancereturned was held into Occidental Park thatfor featuredan musicevening bystreet Blue Moon, Lavender Country and [[Sue Isaacs]]dance. On June 30, 1974, Gay Pride Week concluded with a "Gay-In" at the [[Seattle Center]]'s Center that featured "zany dress, general frivolity, carousing and a circle dance around the main [[International fountainFountain]]."<ref>{{cite web|last=Lange|first=Greg|date=March 13, 2003|title=Lesbians and gays celebrate Seattle's first Gay Pride Week from June 24 to 30, 1974.|url=httphttps://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?displaypage=output.cfm&file_id=File/5409|work=[[HistoryLink|publisher=HistoryLink.org]]|access-date=December 13, 2013}}</ref>
The local band [[Lavender Country]], noted as the first known openly gay [[country music]] act, also performed during the 1974 festival.<ref>[http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/More-doors-open-to-gays-today-1147993.php "More doors open to gays today"]. ''[[Seattle Post-Intelligencer]]'', June 24, 2004.</ref> The band also later performed a reunion show at Seattle Pride in 2000, following a resurgence of interest when their album was archived at the [[Country Music Hall of Fame]].<ref name="kitsap">[http://web.kitsapsun.com/packages/gay/gay/0625a5d.html "Gay community resources, organizations and events"] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20130723035410/http://web.kitsapsun.com/packages/gay/gay/0625a5d.html |date=July 23, 2013 }}. ''[[Kitsap Sun]]'', June 25, 2000.</ref>
1977 marked the first official Gay Pride week declared by Mayor Wes Uhlman. The year that followed was particularly impactful. With a broader acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community came a rise in organized “anti"anti-gay forces”forces" determined to repeal many ordinances that protected LGBTQ+ rights. During the 1978 Pride Week, more than 3000 participants marched in protest on the parade route that ran from Occidental Square Park in [[Pioneer Square, Seattle|Pioneer Square]] to [[Westlake Park (Seattle)|Westlake Park]] by way of First Avenue. Voters defeated the initiative, preserving the many political gains of that decade. The Parade route remained in place until the early 8-s when it began trading years with Capitol Hill, until it was "permanently" moved to Broadway. In 1992, Gay Pride week was expanded to include bisexual and transgender identities (LGBT). <ref>{{Cite web |title=Celebrating Pride at the Port of Seattle |url=https://www.portseattle.org/blog/celebrating-pride-port-seattle}}</ref> In 2006 the Seattle Pride Parade moved from Capitol Hill back to Downtown Seattle where it originated.<ref>{{Cite web |date=June 24, 2021 |title=What Pride means to 5 Seattle-area residents |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/events/looking-back-with-pride/ |access-date=February 6, 2023 |website=The Seattle Times |language=en-US}}</ref>
== Seattle Pride ==
The organization is best known as the producer of the Seattle Pride Parade,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Seattle Pride Parade |url=https://www.seattlepride.org/seattle-pride-month |access-date=February 6, 2023 |website=Seattlepride |language=en-US}}</ref> held on the last Sunday in June to honor [[Stonewall riots|Stonewall]], marking the start of the gay rights movement in the United States. The event attracts 300,000-plus spectators annually with more than 200 groups marching in support of LGBTQIA+ Pride<ref>{{Cite web |date=June 19, 2019 |title=Celebrate a landmark Pride at rainbow array of Seattle-area events |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/life/lifestyle/celebrate-a-landmark-pride-at-rainbow-array-of-seattle-area-events/ |access-date=February 6, 2023 |website=The Seattle Times |language=en-US}}</ref> down 4th Avenue in Downtown Seattle.
The organization is also known as the producer of the Seattle Pride in the Park Festival held on the first Saturday in June in Volunteer Park on Capitol Hill. The free family-friendly event features performances by LGBTQIA+ performers, kids activities, booths, and food trucks. <ref>{{Cite web |date=June 2, 2022 |title=Seattle Pride kicks off June with Pride in the Park, and more fun around Seattle |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/events/seattle-pride-in-the-park-june-2022-events/ |access-date=February 6, 2023 |website=The Seattle Times |language=en-US}}</ref>
The 2013 Pride Parade was notable for the participation of uniformed members of the [[Boy Scouts of America]], celebrating the recent decision by that organization to allow openly gay boys to join as Scouts.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Photos-2013-Seattle-Pride-Parade-213767011.html|title=Thousands turn out for 2013 Seattle PrideFest|date=June 30, 2013|work=KOMO News|access-date=July 2, 2013}}</ref> In 2020 and 2021, the organization held virtual Pride Month celebrations in lieu of the Seattle Pride Parade and Seattle Pride in the Park Festival in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Seattle Pride will be virtual again in 2021. But organizers have devised ways to make it more interactive {{!}} |work=The Spokesman-Review |url=https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2021/jun/01/seattle-pride-will-be-virtual-again-in-2021-but-or/ |access-date=February 6, 2023 |website=www.spokesman.com}}</ref>
==PrideFest==
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