Photo Credit: Denis Martinez Getty Images
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Over the half century since the 1969 Stonewall uprising, the political nature of Pride Month ebbed as the LGBT struggle for equality became a celebration of the ever-expanding progress in that quest. More recently, however, perhaps since the election of a Black president in 2008 and, especially since the U.S. Supreme Court decision establishing marriage equality in 2015, the Evangelical white supremacist pushback has become an all-out assault on the LGBTQ community. As a consequence, Pride celebrations have, however slowly, become political. Milwaukee’s celebration of Pride Month reflects that new reality.
On Pride Month eve, city and county leaders attended the launch ceremony for the MCTS Pride Bus. Wrapped in Pride array and displaying the slogan “This Bus is for All of US,” the bus will crisscross the city on various routes throughout the year. In fact, it may even become an annual MCTS feature. As in 2021 when the first Pride Bus was organized through the efforts of Milwaukee Pride, Inc president Wes Shaver and local officials, the tone of the speeches was celebratory, extolling the city and county’s embrace of inclusion and diversity.
Then, at the PrideFest Opening Ceremony, Milwaukee Pride Inc. President Wes Shaver announced the festival’s theme of “a Party with a Purpose,” noting that PrideFest is not only a joyful celebration but also a consequential political action. Speaking at PrideFest’s Opening Ceremony with Mayor Cavalier Johnson, County Executive David Crowley and other honored guests who reiterated the values of diversity, equity and inclusion in a city moving forward and pursuing the challenging goals of improving the lives of all Milwaukeeans.
The event’s record setting attendance of 42,603 representing the community’s full spectrum of LGBTQ’s and allies proved the power of Pride as an expression of solidarity in face of these precarious times.
Out and Celebratory
The Pride Parade, too, became a political event. With a record number of 175 marching units including the Dancing Grannies and an MPD contingent, with 7,500 participants and an estimated crowd of 20,000-25,000 lining the route, the tone and mood of the parade, was certainly celebratory, out and proud. This year’s Pride Parade grand marshal, a collective of drag queens and kings, became an inadvertent political act of defiance in the face of numerous anti-drag laws popping up in Florida, Texas and elsewhere, as well as a sign of solidarity with those threatened drag communities.
In all, Pride Weekend was a historic success with a grand total of 70,000-75,000 attending or participating in PrideFest and Pride Parade … and without incident.
Elsewhere, Pride flags flew at the Madison statehouse and in the halls of Milwaukee’s city hall, PBS aired the LGBTQ history documentary “Wisconsin Pride,” WUWM broadcast a number of LGBTQ dedicated programs, local TV stations had Pride coverage, the Milwaukee County board of supervisors honored dozens of community personalities and organizations, and social media was awash in rainbows and LGBTQ tributes.
