Saturday, September 24, the NC Pride Parade returns to Duke University’s East Campus in Durham, with a record number of floats and thousands of expected attendees.

NC Pride dates back to 1985, a time when the LGBT community was under siege: the AIDS crisis was reaching its peak, social pressures kept many gays and lesbians in the closet, political leaders like Jesse Helms routinely made anti-gay statements on the Senate floor, and LGBT people had no legal protection from what was then widespread discrimination.

Today, as NC Pride enters its 32nd year, it’s a very different story: same-sex marriage is legal across the country, public opinion has rapidly shifted in support of LGBT rights, and nakedly homophobic rhetoric is increasingly relegated to the political fringes (though it’s still around). But in spite of the movement’s success, many challenges remain: LGBT people are still not protected from workplace and housing discrimination, anti-LGBT violence is still far too commonplace (Orlando being only the most extreme), LGBT teens are still subject to bullying in schools – and this year the North Carolina General Assembly signed off on House Bill 2, widely considered the most anti-LGBT law in America (a country that still has more than a few anti-LGBT laws lingering on the books).

Organizers of NC Pride say the festival is an opportunity to celebrate those recent triumphs – and it’s all the more necessary given those recent and ongoing challenges.

WCHL’s Aaron Keck spoke with former Chapel Hill Mayor Mark Kleinschmidt, one of North Carolina’s first-ever openly gay elected officials, who’s helping organize this year’s Pride festival.

 

This year’s Pride parade begins at 1 pm on Saturday afternoon around Duke’s East Campus; speeches before the parade begin at noon. Other related events take place all weekend.

For a full schedule of events, visit NCPride.org.