Seattle Pride
The first Gay Pride Week in Seattle began on the 24th of June 1974. It started with an open house at the Stonewall Recovery Center. A discussion about transsexuality took place inside the University of Washington Hub Ballroom. That same week, a memorial service honored victims of the 1973 UpStairs Lounge arson attack in New Orleans. The city's Gay Community Center opened its doors on the 28th of June. A picnic for 200 people followed the next day at Occidental Park in Pioneer Square. This gathering moved to Volunteer Park before returning to Occidental Park for an evening street dance. One hundred fifty people attended that final celebration. On the last day of the week, a spontaneous event called a "Gay-In" happened at the International Fountain at the Seattle Center. Local band Lavender Country performed during this inaugural festival. They were known as the first openly gay country music act.
Mayor Wes Uhlman declared the city's first official Gay Pride Week in 1977. Broader acceptance brought organized anti-gay forces determined to repeal protective ordinances. During the 1978 Pride Week, more than 3,000 participants marched from Occidental Square to Westlake Park via First Avenue. Voters defeated an initiative threatening these rights and preserved political gains made that decade. The parade route stayed fixed until the early 1980s when it began trading years with Capitol Hill. It eventually moved permanently to Broadway. In 1992, organizers expanded Gay Pride week to include bisexual and transgender identities under the LGBT label. The Seattle Pride Parade returned to Downtown Seattle in 2006 after moving back from Capitol Hill where it originated.
Seattle Out and Proud operates as a nonprofit organization coordinating year-round LGBTQIA+ programs. Their mission includes creating unity and honoring diversity throughout the region and world. The group runs a speaker series called Pride Speaks. They also manage a voter engagement program named Vote with Pride. Community grant and sponsorship programs support local initiatives. This organization produces the annual Seattle Pride Parade held on the last Sunday in June. Over 300,000 spectators attend each year to watch more than 200 groups march down 4th Avenue. Another major event is the Seattle Pride in the Park Festival held on the first Saturday of June. This free family-friendly gathering takes place in Volunteer Park on Capitol Hill. Performers, kids activities, booths, and food trucks fill the park during this celebration.
PrideFest now occurs annually at the Seattle Center over Pride Weekend between noon and 8 pm. It follows the parade immediately on the last Sunday of June. The festival previously took place in neighboring Capitol Hill's Volunteer Park but outgrew that residential location. Organizers decided in 2006 to move both the parade and festival to better accommodate growing attendance. In 2007, sponsor Seattle Out and Proud faced bankruptcy due to high downtown event costs. Egan Orion of One Degree Events took over just six weeks before the scheduled event. He worked to save the festival and preserve the move to the Center from the previous year. Event organizers compressed the schedule from three days to one day. They negotiated a plan with the city to pay outstanding debt from the 2006 event. The 2008 PrideFest drew record numbers with over 50,000 people attending on a 95 degree day. More than 100 vendors and dozens of sponsors participated in that successful return.
The 2013 Pride Parade featured uniformed members of the Boy Scouts of America for the first time. This participation celebrated a recent decision allowing openly gay boys to join as Scouts. In 2020 and 2021, the organization held virtual Pride Month celebrations instead of holding physical events. These changes responded directly to the COVID-19 pandemic. The virtual format replaced both the Seattle Pride Parade and the Seattle Pride in the Park Festival. Organizers adapted their programs to ensure safety while maintaining community connection during global health restrictions. The shift demonstrated flexibility in how they delivered services to the LGBTQIA+ community throughout Washington state.
Continue Browsing
Common questions
When did the first Gay Pride Week in Seattle begin?
The first Gay Pride Week in Seattle began on the 24th of June 1974. It started with an open house at the Stonewall Recovery Center and included a discussion about transsexuality inside the University of Washington Hub Ballroom.
Who declared the city's first official Gay Pride Week in 1977?
Mayor Wes Uhlman declared the city's first official Gay Pride Week in 1977. This declaration occurred after broader acceptance brought organized anti-gay forces determined to repeal protective ordinances during that decade.
Where does the annual Seattle Pride Parade take place now?
The Seattle Pride Parade takes place down 4th Avenue in Downtown Seattle. The parade route moved permanently to Broadway from Capitol Hill before returning to Downtown Seattle in 2006.
What is the mission of Seattle Out and Proud?
Seattle Out and Proud operates as a nonprofit organization coordinating year-round LGBTQIA+ programs. Their mission includes creating unity and honoring diversity throughout the region and world while running a speaker series called Pride Speaks.
When did PrideFest move to the Seattle Center?
Organizers decided in 2006 to move both the parade and festival to better accommodate growing attendance. The festival previously took place in neighboring Capitol Hill's Volunteer Park but outgrew that residential location.