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20 Years of Gay and Lesbian Pride in Vermont
20 Years of Pride in Vermont
A Brief History
by Brian Cina and Meg Tamulonis
Where were you on June 25, 1983? That was the day that 300 (or 400 or 500, depending on which newspaper you read or who you ask) people gathered at City Hall Park in Burlington to celebrate Lesbian and Gay Pride Day. The rally and parade made the front page of the Burlington Free Press, which reported (in slightly surprised tones) that the events were “without incident.”
The idea for the celebration came from a dedicated group of women working at Commonwomon (the earliest Vermont women’s newspaper), who had the idea that Vermont needed a Lesbian and Gay Pride celebration and applied for a grant from the Haymarket Fund in order to make it possible. They invited local men to participate in the planning and the festivities. They also asked for and received the support of straight allies. Lesbians and gays had been actively involved in many different social movements in Vermont, and they now felt that they needed support for their own movement.
This original Lesbian and Gay Pride celebration consisted of a pre-parade rally, a parade, and an open-mike speakout featuring guest speakers, as well as a picnic and a dance. People in the march carried signs declaring their presence, from “The Burlington Gay Volleyball League” to “Vermont Celebrates Lesbian & Gay Pride 1983” to “A Small, Tasteful Sign for Lesbian and Gay Rights.”
Organizers had requested the Burlington City Council to proclaim Gay and Lesbian Pride Day, attracting attention (and perhaps some ire) to the celebration. Vermont lesbians and gays were demanding recognition and support from Vermont society. The significance of this event is tremendous, considering the social climate in Vermont in 1983.
Before the 1983 Pride celebration, many people in Vermont had little idea about the lives of the many gays and lesbians in the state. The original gathering was about making gays and lesbians visible in the streets, an effort to open the minds of Vermonters to the reality of gay and lesbian life. Pride gave gays and lesbians an opportunity to express themselves as individuals as well as a community.
Some members of that community felt at first that Pride was dangerous. People were afraid or anxious about participating in the march and rally. Marching in the streets of Burlington – with the possibility of friends, relatives, and co-workers seeing you – would be a very different experience from marching in the streets of a larger city such as New York or San Francisco.
Some people stood on the sidelines, part of the community but not quite ready to fully participate. There were threats of violence, but the support of local police helped to quell unease. At that time there was no civil rights law, no hate crime law, and no sense of how the public would respond to the event. It took a tremendous amount of courage for each person to step out and move from spectator to participant, and year after year more and more people joined in. After only a few years, it was obvious that the Lesbian and Gay Pride celebrations had been a turning point in the community. People were propelled to become more visible, which created risks, which in turn became a catalyst for social change.
By 1986, several hundred people gathered in Burlington, and were addressed by Vermont Governor Madeline Kunin. Signs declared that there was “No Turning Back.” The late 1980s also saw more members of the community grappling with AIDS, a concern reflected by some of the banners and marchers in the parade.
In 1987, the Pride theme was “Now More Than Ever” as lesbians and gays sought visibility and support. From 1988 to 1990, Pride moved to Montpelier, the state capital, and took on an even more political significance. The state civil rights/anti-discrimination law was introduced in 1988 and passed in 1992. Pride celebrations moved back to Burlington in 1991, where the rally was addressed by Burlington Mayor Peter Clavelle, who had marched in the parade.
In 1993, Vermont Pride festivities were held for their eleventh year, with the uniquely Vermont slogan “Proud Not Cowed” and thousands of attendees. In 1997, the first Vermont Dyke March was held in Burlington before the official Pride festivities.
Pride has grown larger and more diverse year by year, changing from a celebration of lesbians and gays to a celebration of gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgender people. In the year 2000, Pride Vermont moved even farther, encompassing questioning and allied people in its official name. In addition to hosting a statewide gathering in Burlington, the Pride Vermont committee began to plan smaller events in communities spread across the state as part of the Thirty Days of Pride program. The passing of the Civil Unions law in 2000 occurred the same year as the largest Pride celebration that Burlington had ever before seen.
Over the course of twenty years, Pride has grown from a small Burlington celebration to a large statewide celebration, but its primary significance has not changed very much. Pride continues to be a way for the community to be visible and spread understanding throughout mainstream society, demanding recognition for accomplishments and celebrating our very existence.
This year, the 20th Pride celebration will be held. The many people attending will not be very different from the first few hundred who gathered in Burlington’s City Hall Park in 1983. There will still be few people on the sidelines, fearful about joining the celebrations. There will still be a few hecklers, questioning the rights of those marching. Lesbians and gays and bisexuals and transgendered people and intersexed people, questioning people and their allies will gather in order to celebrate their accomplishments over the past year. And we will all be more visible.
Brian Cina has worked on Pride Vermont for three years. Meg Tamulonis is part of the Vermont Queer Archives of the RU12? Community Center.
| Writing history is always a work in progress, especially when it is so recent. This overview only scratches the surface of a history that goes back well over twenty years. It does not claim to be complete or absolute, and we continue to research and talk to as many people as possible. If you would like to share stories and info, you can email archive@ru12.org, or call Meg at 860-7812. Find out more about this year's Pride activities by visiting the website at www.pridevermont.org. |