June 25, 2021 Cincinnati Public Library Vintage Cincinnati Includes a major insert in Cincinnati Enquirer "Homosexuals" and various historic articles and Independent Eye May 1973 covering first Pride 4-7-1973.
You find the full 27 pages article uploaded in attachments.
From the May 2003 issue of "Greater Cincinnati GLBT News"
Cincinnati's First Pride Parade
by Bruce Beisner
(Changes and additions to Bruce's article are noted!)
Thirty years ago last month, gay and lesbian Cincinnatians held their very
first Pride Parade. Over the past 3 decades, the event has grown, declined,
disappeared, and been reborn. As you march with thousands of other
people this June, remember that it all started with a little notice, but
very important, happening back in April of 1973.
Following the Stonewall Riots and the growth of the anti-Vietnam War
movement, "hippie" culture began to strongly take hold in the
Cincinnati area in the early 1970s. Out of this "leftist" and
"druggie" crowd came the city's first gay organization.
The Cincinnati Gay Community, or CGC, was established in 1972 by a
small group of die-hard activists. Among the founding members were Michael
Weyand, Terry Flanigan, Carol Kipp, Dick Jasinski (sic correct spelling is Richard Jazwinski), Ronald Carter, and Jack Ferguson. (Note from Michael Chanak: Terry Flanigan and Jack Ferguson are
now deceased. Also, Karl Owens has been mentioned as involved in the
first event.)
(Note from Michael Chanak: Various estimates
regarding the attendance of his first event range from 12 per Ed Hicks founder (deceased) of Gay Beat, and the founder of Gay Noveau in Cincinnati both out of publication,
interviewed the late Terry Flanigan who attended. Other accounts claim
upwards of 40 individuals all men are unconfirmed. Michael Chanak has been
able to verify that Phebe Beisner, Vic Ramstetter, Carol Kipp, and Debbie Arapa
attended parts/or all that the first march.)
The CGC was advertised in the University of Cincinnati's newspaper and soon had
over 200 people attending their regular meetings, which were held at St.
John's Unitarian Church 320 Resor Cincinnati, Ohio. The group was made up of mostly gay white males many
of whom were college students, although a handful of women and African Americans
became involved. CGC sponsored theater productions and social activities and
sent speakers to sexuality education classes at UC and Miami University.
About a year after it was founded, the leadership of CGC decided to build on
its successes with a Pride Celebration on April 6 and 7, 1973 which would
include a parade.
.
The first-ever Cincinnati Pride Celebration began on Friday
night with a spaghetti dinner at St. John's Unitarian Church that was
attended by over 150 people. Following a brunch on Saturday
morning at the popular gay dance club Badlands, the first Pride parade
stepped off from Washington Square Park in Over the Rhine.
Having secured a parade permit, about 70 people marched with signs and banners
through downtown to Fountain Square.
In a 1986 presentation to the UC Gay Academic Union, Terry Flanigan (deceased) recalled
that "there was much heckling along the route," and that "while
press releases were sent to all the local media, only WCPO Channel 9 covered
the event, and their coverage was very brief and really didn't capture the
spirit of the day at all,"
Following the parade, there was a rally on Fountain Square which featured live
music, political speakers, and several theatrical skits.
Although privately a friend of many gays, Cincinnati Mayor Theodore Berry, the
city's first African American mayor, refused to publicly issue a proclamation
of this first Gay Pride Day. It would be years before the event would receive
official recognition from the city government.
On April 15, 1973, gay and lesbian activists held their first "Red Shirt
Day" at the Kings Island amusement park. On May 8 of that same year,
about 150 people participated in the first statewide Pride march in Columbus.
Despite the success of Cincinnati's first Pride Parade, the CGC fell apart amid
heated disagreements only a month later.
A Xavier University senior Ryan Goellner wrote
an extensive history piece in December 2011 as a capstone project, which quotes
various resources, and states:
The
Beginning of Gay Pride in Cincinnati
These political firestorms, however, did not simply manufacture themselves in a vacuum
in Cincinnati. Rather, they were the product of decades of a buildup of the GLBTQ movement
as both a cultural and political idea. “Gay Pride” in Cincinnati started as a march and a rally;
it was a protest against inequality and discrimination that drew on the model of the civil rights
movements of the 1960s, built off of the nationwide unrest of the 1970s, and eventually
generated its own socio-political movement in the 1980s.
The gay pride movement in Cincinnati began in the early 1970s and attempted to build off of the controversy
and the success of the Stonewall riots and New York City Pride. A small group of dedicated activists in the early gay
and lesbian movement organized the Cincinnati Gay Community (CGC) in 1972. The CGC
began drawing activists from around Cincinnati, most notably from the University of Cincinnati.
Their early organization resulted in the first pride celebration in Cincinnati from April 6 to 7,
1973, which culminated in a parade through downtown to Fountain Square. Terry Flanigan, one
of the founding members of the CGC, “recalled that ‘there was much heckling along the route’”
of the parade of 1973, and that only a small local team from Channel 9 covered the story. The
1973 pride parade and the events surrounding it emulated the beginnings of pride in New York
after the Stonewall riots. Cincinnati pride started as a vanguard movement intent on making itself
seen and heard, as well as battling the stigmas attached to the GLBTQ community.
After the 1973 parade, the CGC quickly disintegrated, and pride fell by the wayside
until it was revived in 1978 by the Greater Cincinnati Gay Coalition (GCGC).
(His
research report is attached herein, see below).
Center note: From 1979 Pride was organized by the GCGC (Greater
Cincinnati Gay Coalition) which became incorporated as a non-profit in 1984 and
was known as the GCGLC (Greater Cincinnati Gay & Lesbian Coalition
(GCGLC). By 2004, the GCGLC was dissolved to create the "Community
Center, first located downtown and then relocated to Northside in 2000.
The Center continued its sponsorship of Pride through 2009 when it was turned
over to the Gay Chamber of Commerce, which became Cincinnati Pride (IRS charity
designation November 25, 2015). The Community Center in Northside closed on November 13, 2013. If you want to read the specifics on the formation of
the GLBT Center (as it was called) see http://www.cincyglbt.com/about.
GAY PRIDES IN CINCINNATI This is a work in progress! We acknowledge the kind work of Phebe Beiser,
Bruce Beisner, and Michael Chanak who helped to compile this information!
1973 April 6, 7 - Cincinnati Gay Community - Washington Park through Fountain
Square. Parade April 7th. (See coverage - in attachments Independent Eye May
1973, Volume 6, No 2 covering April 1973 event). The sponsor was the
organization "Cincinnati Gay Community." Shortly after this event,
the organization collapsed and no Pride was held until 1978 as given in the
timeline. Michael Chanak Jr. was honored as Parade Marshal for his activism at
P&G. This activism led to the inclusion of Sexual Orientation on
September 15, 1992, at Procter & Gamble. In 2018, P&G in conjunction
with CNN's Great Big Stories released a 19 min video to international acclaim
covering this contribution:
1978 Proclamation by mayor Gerald (Jerry) Springer signed June 24, 1978 (See
insert and attachment)
1979 June 30 – Rally at Fountain Square - Proclamation by mayor Bobbie Sterne
(10th anniversary of Stonewall in NYC) (Greater Cincinnati Gay Coalition was a sponsor of Pride)
1980 Sunday, June 22 - L/G Pride Day (Greater Cincinnati Gay
Coalition)
1981 Sunday, June 28 (Greater Cincinnati Gay Coalition) Fountain
Square.
1982 Sunday, June 20 L/G Pride Day on Fountain Square (Greater Cincinnati Gay
Coalition)
1983 Sunday, June 19 - Pride Day on Fountain Square (Greater Cincinnati
Gay Coalition) Harry Hay was one of
two main speakers, the other being Dr. Rhonda Rivera. Harry was a founder
of the Mattachine Society and helped establish the Radical Faeries. His theme
was "Gays - a separate people whose time has come. Share the Pride. Feel
the Magic." Dr. Rhonda Rivera was a law professor from OSU recognized
for being a pioneer of LGBTQ+ Rights. (The information was from the
Yellow Pages, which says "this was the 6th Pride." Recall, the first Pride was 1973, skipped to 1978 and in 1983 this would make the 6th
Pride - but not consecutive years.) In attachments, you will find a FB
discussion about Harry Hay's visit, and a piece on Dr. Rivera's history.
1984 “Gay Pride Week” June 9-17 (Greater Cincinnati Gay & Lesbian
Coalition)
1985 June 7 - Rally & Parade. Gathered at City Hall and marched to Fountain
Square (Greater Cincinnati Gay & Lesbian Coalition) Charlie Luken, Mayor of
Cincinnati did not make a GLBT Pride Day proclamation - refused too.
Edward Hicks, co-founder of GayBeat (deceased), and
founder of Gay Noveau (both out of print) offer: I'd like to mention the
1985 parade and rally, led by Dr. Kirk Prine and a woman whose name, to my
embarrassment, I have forgotten. She may have been a U.C. instructor. Editor
note: In Dec 2020 a photo was located of the speakers, Dr. Kirk Prine, Guy
Gugenberger (former City of Cincinnati council person, Pat North - VP of the
Greater Cincinnati Gay and Lesbian Coalition and treasurer of Stonewall, Dr.
Mike Mavroidis founder of AVOC AIDS Volunteers of Greater Cincinnati and Jan
Scholler, who became president of the Coalition in 1987, 1988. The others
in the photo were not able to be identified. In checking with Pat North,
she is indeed the person who lead with Kirk. Pat confirmed she was not an
instructor at UC at any point. (Quick history AVOC - it became Stop AIDS in the
late 2000 and then eventually closed with its basic operations taken on by
Caracole.)
Kirk told the
coalition flatly that there was going to be a march even if he were the only
one. He and his colleagues worked their butts off, giving up many personal hours
to the organizing of what was the first march in some time — though I don't
know how much time. One reason this all sticks in my mind is that, like Kirk, I
wore a shirt and tie. Maybe even a jacket. Another reason is that in January of
1985 I had launched The GayBeat, and we were on fire. We had run a three-part
interview with vice squad commander Lt. Harold Mills and were covering the
murder trial of Robert van Hook. Jonathan Messinger made this cool banner for
the parade: red, white, and blue, in a good way. I still have it.
1986 June 7 - Political rally at City Hall followed by a march to Fountain
Square for Rally of a celebration of GLBTQ folks (Greater Cincinnati Gay &
Lesbian Coalition). Afterward, march to Dock for a festival. The festival
was behind the Dock at 603 W. Pete Rose way. Vice approached the then President
of the Coalition George Vanover - expressing concern that a portion lot behind
the bar was "city property." As a result, the festival was
moved to the front lot of the Dock in 1987. At the time, the Coalition
consisted of 22 gay/lesbian and ally groups. (Thank you to George Vanover,
President of Coalition, and Peggy Weyand for information on 1986 and 1987).
1986 June 8 - Following the Festival at the Dock, the booths were moved to Ruth
Lyons Lane. On Sunday, these festivities included "drag queen mud
wrestling" featuring "Eartha Quake" aka Denny Welch
(deceased). This day of activities (near Metro, Side Door, and Subway Bar
(around the corner) featured at GL art and crafts festival.
1986 September 4, Thursday - Gay & Lesbian Coalition entry in Cheviot
Harvest Home Parade. Start time 7:15 pm.
1987 June 6 - Rally at Fountain Square and Parade to Dock. Focus on March on
Washington, information on how to participate, collection of donations for this by
Greater Cincinnati Gay & Lesbian Coalition, Festival at Dock
following. (Dock closed in Spring of 2018, location 603 W. Pete Rose
Way).
1987 - Date Unknown - Sponsored by Coalition -
Gay day at Cincinnati Zoo.
1987 - Date Unknown - Sponsored by Coalition at Gay Day at the Americana
Amusement Park in Hamilton, Ohio.
1988 June 11- Rally at Fountain Square, and parade to Dock, Festival at Dock
following. (Dock closed in Spring of 2018, location 603 W. Pete Rose
Way).
1989 June 10 - Pride Rally Fountain Square (Greater Cincinnati Gay & Lesbian
Coalition)
1990 June 9 - Rally at Fountain Square, Parade to Sawyer Point (Greater
Cincinnati Gay & Lesbian Coalition)
1991 Sat, June 15 - L & G Pride Day (Greater Cincinnati Gay & Lesbian
Coalition) Mayor David Mann who declared a Cicada Day, gives a "tolerance
day" proclamation to GLBT Pride.
1992 June 13 - Rally at City Hall, March to Fountain Square (Greater Cincinnati
Gay & Lesbian Coalition)
1993 June 12 - March begins at City Hall, Rally at Fountain Square (Greater
Cincinnati Gay & Lesbian Coalition) Pride Marshal - Michael Chanak Jr. in
recognition of his work for the inclusion of sexual orientation in Procter
& Gamble's non-discrimination policy as announced on September 15,
1992. In April 2018, P&G in conjunction with CNN's Great Big Story
released the story of this work in a 19 m video to international
acclaim. YouTube Link for The Words Matters or Great Big Stories - The Words Matter
1994 June 11 - Rally at Bicentennial Commons, Parade marched through downtown.
Festival afterward at the Dock. (Gay & Lesbian Community Center in
Cincinnati).
1995 June 17 - Fountain Square rally, march to the Dock for a festival in a
front parking lot (Gay & Lesbian Community Center Cincinnati)
1996 8 events in 3 days - “Pride and Cultural Fest” (all kinds of events,
but no rally or parade) (Gay & Lesbian Community Center Cincinnati)
1997 “Aware on the Square” held from 12-1 Thursday, June 5 (Gay & Lesbian
Community Center Cincinnati)
1998 “Aware on the Square” held on Tuesday, June 23 (No parade) (Gay
& Lesbian Community Center Cincinnati)
1999 June 6 - Rally at City Hall (No parade/No festival) Michael
Blankenship organized rally at City Hall
2000 June 11 - Rally at Burnet Woods, parade to Northside, a
festival at Hoffner Park (Chris Good - Chair - and independent committee -
Michael Chanak Jr. - Senior Advisor) Honorary Pride Marshal: Peaches LaVerne.
Pride Marshal: Dr. Shane Que Hee.
2001 June 10 - Rally at Burnet Woods, parade to Northside, festival (2 days) at
Hoffner Park (Ken Colegrove - Chair - and independent committee - organizers) Honorary Pride Marshal: Peaches LaVerne. Pride Marshal Scott McLarty.
2002 June 9 - Rally at Burnet Woods, parade to Northside, festival (2 days) at
Hoffner Park (Ken Colegrove - Chair - and independent committee -
organizers)
Honorary Pride Marshal: Peaches LaVerne.
2003 June 8 - Rally at Burnet Woods, parade to Northside, festival (2 days) at
Hoffner Park (Ken Colegrove - Chair - and independent committee - organizers)
Honorary Pride Marshal: Peaches LaVerne.
2004 June 13 - Rally at Burnet Woods, parade to Northside, festival (2 days) at
Hoffner Park (Ken Colegrove & Debra Randal l- Co-Chairs and independent
committee - organizers) Queen Mum of Parade: Peaches LaVerne.
Pride Marshal: Kathy Laufman and Patti Herrman (Patti was unable to attend due to a family emergency.)
2005 June 12 - Rally at Burnet Woods, parade to Northside, festival (2 days) at
Hoffner Park (Greater Cincinnati Gay & Lesbian Community Center -
organizer). Pride Marshal: Scott Knox.
2006 June 11 -Rally at Burnet Woods, parade to Northside, festival (2 days) at
Hoffner Park (Greater Cincinnati Gay & Lesbian Community Center -
organizer) Pride Marshal: David Crowley
2007 June 10 - Rally at Burnet Woods, parade to Northside, festival (2 days) at
Hoffner Park (Greater Cincinnati Gay & Lesbian Community Center -
organizer). Pride Marshals: Marian Weage and Dr. Ronn Rucker.
2008 June 15 - Rally at Burnet Woods, parade to Northside, festival (2
days) at Hoffner Park (Greater Cincinnati Gay & Lesbian Community Center -
organizer). Pride Marshals: Rev. Paula Jackson, Vic Ramstetter, Phebe Beiser,
Worley Rodehaver GLBT News (deceased and publication ended with his death in 2014) and Dr. Larry Wolf, former UC geography prof (deceased).
2009 June 14 - Rally at Burnet Woods, parade to Northside, festival
(2 days) at Hoffner Park (Greater Cincinnati Gay & Lesbian
Community Center - organizer, Bill Abney - Pride Chair). Pride Marshals:
Cheryl Eagleson and Dr. John Maddux. This was the last year the old LGBTQ+
center in Northside sponsored Pride. The Center knew the event had
outgrown the Northside venue - with estimates of 2009 attendance at
22-25,000. The Center Board decided to find a new "host"
organization which was the Greater Cincinnati Gay Chamber of Commerce.
2010 July 4 - Cincinnati Pride, parade, festival on Fountain
Square (Greater Cincinnati Gay Chamber of Commerce), Pride marshals: Doris
Marks Callis, Karen Aronoff-Holtmeier, Michael Cottrell, and Randy Bridges.
2010 August 14 - Northsiders Pride in Northside (Dan Wells - Independent
committee)
2010 October 3 - First ever Northern Kentucky Pride (Organizer Patti Herrmann)
2011 July 9 - Northern Kentucky Pride Goebel Park Covington, Ky.
Worley Rodehaver (deceased) honored for journalism contributions to the local GLBT
community.
2011 July 10 - Cincinnati Pride, downtown Cincinnati Fountain Square,
Greater Cincinnati Gay Chamber of Commerce. Pride Marshals: Megan Neal and Rusty Lockett.
2011 August 13 - Northsiders Pride - Hoffner Park, Hamilton business district.
Dan Wells organizer.
2012 June 30 - Cincinnati Pride, downtown
Cincinnati - Sawyer Point, organized by Greater Cincinnati Gay Chamber of
Commerce. Pride Marshals: Adam Hoover - Marriage Equality Activists,
Lynne Lefebvre - long term volunteer, board member PFLAG and Chris
Seelbach - first openly gay Cincinnati Councilperson.
2012 July 1 - Northern Kentucky Pride - 7th
& Bakewell Streets, Covington Ky
2012 August 18 - Northsiders Pride in Hoffner
Park. The organizer is Dan Wells. No further Northside Pride events were held
after 2012.
2013 June 29 - Cincinnati Pride, downtown
Cincinnati - Sawyer Point, organized by Greater Cincinnati Gay Chamber of
Commerce. In light of the fact that 2013 marks the 40th year of the first
pride march in Cincinnati, the living pride marshals who have been honored in
the past - were featured in a rain-soaked parade. On November 13, 2013, the old LGBTQ+ center closed in Northside.
2013 July 22 - Greater Cincinnati Gay Chamber of
Commerce incorporates the pride committee as "Cincinnati Pride, Inc"
as a non-profit in the State of Ohio. Incorporating trustees: Cathy Rogers,
Shawn Baker, Anthony Phillips, Michael Cotrell, and Melissa Riley.
2014 May 31 - Cincinnati Pride, downtown
Cincinnati - Sawyer Point, organized by Cincinnati Pride, Inc. Ron Clemons and
Crystal Loomis Pride Marshals.
2015 June 27 - Cincinnati Pride, downtown Cincinnati - Sawyer Point. Marshal is
Erika Ervin.
2016 June 25 - Cincinnati Pride, downtown
Cincinnati - Sawyer Point. Marshals are: Ron Hirth and Jen Henderson
2017 June 24 - Cincinnati Pride, downtown
Cincinnati - Sawyer Point. Marshal is Chuck Beatty.
2018 June 23 - Cincinnati Pride, downtown
Cincinnati - Sawyer Point. Marshals are Del Shores (producer/writer) and IML
(International Mr. Leather)
2018, James Lee and Keiran Marcum, transgender youth from Lebanon, OH.
2018 October 18 - Procter & Gamble at their annual GABLE (affinity group)
North America meeting in Cincinnati announced scholarships one to Michael
Chanak Jr for "Courageous Leadership" for his time at P&G and to
Lynwood Battle "For effective Allyship." Lyn (deceased August 29, 2021) was the chief EEO
at P&G when the September 15, 1992 change to include sexual orientation was
made at P&G.
2019 June 22 - Cincinnati Pride, downtown Cincinnati - Sawyer Point.
Marshals are Arykah Carter & Ariel Mary Ann, both trans-activists.
2020 June 27 - Postponed due to COVID-19 pandemic on April 24, 2020 -.
Cincinnati Pride, downtown Cincinnati - Sawyer Point. Subsequently, in
May 2020 the Cincinnati Pride committee announced a new date of October 3, 2020, for the celebration to be held between Walnut and Elm Streets and 2nd and 3rd
in Downtown.
2020 October 3 - Rescheduled. Details as available. Location: Between Walnut
and Elm and 2nd and 3rd streets, downtown Cincinnati. You may hear other
figures, but this will be the 39th Pride in Cincinnati with "a full
parade/march." (Consider 1973, the first, skips to 1978 until 1995 a
total of 18 yrs. Formal prides pick back up in 2000 and continuing.
another 20 yrs. - for a total of 38. If you include the intervening years that were "small events" not no march (96-99 - add another 4 yrs.
for a total of 42 years. Some attempt to count from the first Parade in
1973 as IF our pride ran consequently, when in fact they did not. Net,
Cincinnati in 2023 will not be "celebrating 50 yrs. of continuous
Prides.") On September 1, 2020, the Pride committee announced
due to COVID-19 concerns that the Pride celebration for October 3, 2020, was
canceled. See the attachment for a statement from Cincinnati Pride
Committee on October 3, 2020.
2021 June 26 - In-person parade and festival canceled by Cincinnati Pride
committee on February 1, 2021. Other plans to celebrate are planned. See memo in
attachments.
2021 June 27 - Sunday, while not a substitute for Cincinnati Pride or its
Festival, the organization in conjunction with the Gay Chamber of Commerce held
an outdoor market event from 11 am to 4 pm at Washington Park. Some 20
local supportive organizations were represented.
2022 June 25 - Sunday.
For more complete bios see: Cincinnati Pride History!
P&G played a significant role in LGBTQ+ equality, please see, the 2018,
2019, and 2020 videos produced by them for Pride. Ohio Lesbian Archives
supplied archival materials for two of three films, 2018 and 2019.
The first was "The Words Matter - One Voice can make a difference"
featuring local activist and longtime Cincinnati resident Michael Chanak Jr. Michael was
the primary advocate for the inclusion of sexual orientation in the Company's
EEO policy. His work began in 1997 while a member of the Peridex business
team. Peridex was an oral antimicrobial rinse that had action against oral
yeast infections. P&G knew this and marketed directly to professionals
(dentists) for this off-label use. Chanak advocated that if the Company
could sell the LGBTQ+ community they needed to claim the Community. Over
the course of the next 5 yrs. and various recommendations and rejections - the
policy changed on September 15, 1992. This is now considered a milestone
in LGBTQ+ history.
Release: April 12, 2018, 19 minutes. The film received international acclaim winning the Silver Lions at the Cannes Creative Film
Festival. Run time 19 m.
https://youtu.be/xG7qPd27-ws
The second film followed a year later entitled "Out of the Shadows -
Risking their careers for Equality. This covered the post EEO change, the
formation of the Company affinity group GABLE, issues of gaining domestic
partnership benefits, and the use of Company e-mail to communicate.
Release: June 18. 2019 25 minutes.
https://youtu.be/2iDCO_47350
The most current film May 25, 2020, ran 13 minutes. It was entitled: They will
see you now - Visibility in LGBTQ+ Advertising. Its focus was on
lgbtq+ visibility in advertising. This film was nominated by GLAAD for a
media award in January 2021.
https://youtu.be/Zs1kRgr44RY