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SUMMER 2012
54
From 3.5 million participants in São Paulo
to less than a hundred in Sligo, Ireland,
gay pride is always an event which attracts
a loyal following. There are now hundreds
of Pride events around the world which
reflect the diverse nature of gay life, which is
quite something considering Pride’s humble
beginnings.
Annual Reminders
The gay rights movement in the USA did
not start to emerge until the 1950s. Two
groups were key leaders in the start of it all –
the Daughters of Bilitis and the Mattachine
Society. Together, they formed the East
Coast Homophile Organizations, or ECHO.
In an attempt to start getting the gay rights
movement into the public consciousness,
ECHO organised an event called the Annual
Reminder. This was a silent protest mirroring
those of the black rights struggle and served
as a reminder that gays and lesbians in the
country had no civil rights whatsoever. The
first Annual Reminder was in 1965 and they
continued every year until 1969.
Charles Street Liberation Day
After the Stonewall riots in 1969, silent
protest suddenly became old hat. The final
Annual Reminder happened just a few
days after the riots and a year
after the riots, a marching
protest was planned for the
location of the Stonewall
Inn, Charles Street.
The Charles Street
Liberation Day was
much more like
the noisy, banner
waving Pride we
know today and
the event was
p
r
i
d
e
around the world