SEATTLE — Seattle Pride is celebrating 50 years. This parade set for Sunday, June 30, will invite everyone to attend and be themselves.
"I would define pride as embracing and showing up as one's authentic self," said Patti Hearn, Seattle Pride executive director.
The parade theme this year is, "Now," which honors both the current social progress, but also a nod to local history.
As the organization preps for what's expected to be one of the biggest crowds at the parade, the group is also reflecting on how it all started.
While a recent parade attracts thousands of people, there was a time when gathering dozens of people at a time to Pride events was considered a "large" crowd.
David Neth was the lead organizer of the first-ever Seattle Gay Pride Week in 1974 in Pioneer Square's Occidental Park.
He recalled some of the early gatherings from the total of attendees to the overall cost of the first event, which was fewer than $600.
"We planned the ending to get a circle with people around the Seattle Center Fountain," Neth said. "We didn't quite make it because we only had like 30 people [holding hands] and didn't quite make the circle and then probably another 50 or 75 people sitting on the sidelines."
Neth said he vividly remembers another 30 people hanging out behind some trees so they "wouldn't be seen."
During this time, Neth said many were fearful of "being out" because of potential consequences.
"It was 1974 and you could get fired, you could lose your housing," Neth said. "You were arrested for jaywalking, not ticketed, arrested if you came out of a gay bar and stepped off the curb against the white [stripe]. I was arrested in the middle of the day because I stepped off the curb, didn't jaywalk, but I stepped off the curb."
While Neth could further list negative or frightening experiences within the LGBTQ community during those times, he also said he has a lot of fond memories.
"We also had good times too because we were a rowdy bunch," Neth said. "We were the young younger generation."
With each generation came change. Looking back is part of what Seattle Pride hopes people will do during this milestone celebration.
"The queer community can be so invisible," said Patti Heard. "Knowing about the contributions and the experience of the community is pretty important."
With hopes of people doing research and looking back at how Pride started in Seattle, the organization established an online timeline. You can view it by clicking this link.
Hearn told us her first Pride celebration experience was life-changing.
"It felt very affirming to look around and see so many queer people in one place," Hearn said. "I was able to show up, be myself, dress how I wanted, be with who I wanted and just be out in the sunshine."
Hearn said people should expect to see other ways Seattle's LGBTQIA+ history will be honored.
The 50th anniversary year will also include the installation of a historical marker in Occidental Park where the first pride celebration took place. That event is expected in the fall of this year.
Currently - MOHAI is displaying a collection of Pride posters featuring the organization's efforts by Seattle’s LGBTQ+ community to commemorate the 1969 Stonewall uprising each June.