Minnesota's LGBTQ community has been gathering since 1972, when a few dozen people marched on Nicollet Mall to mark the third anniversary of the Stonewall uprisings, a rebellion against the police raid of a gay bar in New York City that propelled the gay rights movement.
Other activities are being held either in spacious outdoor settings or indoors with masks.
The usual march won't be held, partly because its celebratory mood didn't seem appropriate in the wake of George Floyd's death, according to the event's web page, and also because the necessary advance preparations weren't possible with COVID restrictions still uncertain. "You cannot go to Pride without hugging 12 people at least," said Dot Belstler, executive director of Twin Cities Pride. Most events will be free.īut the popular two-day daytime festival in Loring Park, which is normally held the same weekend as the other events and draws a large, tightly packed crowd, has been pushed to July this year as an extra precaution. The annual multiday celebration of the LGBTQ community, one of the largest such festivals in the country, will include a nighttime party, a family fun day and a 5K run spread over two weekends in late June. After being held virtually last year due to COVID-19 restrictions, the Twin Cities Pride Festival this year will welcome participants in person at a number of events starting next month and extending into July.