User:Gwils29/sandbox

"The main mission of the Atlanta Pride Committee is to provide lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, and transgender and queer persons with cultural and educational programs and activities which enhance mental and physical health, provide social support, and foster an awareness of the past and present contributions of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgender persons, through community activities and services, including an annual Pride event." The events that occur at Atlanta Pride range from speeches about violence against women, race, sexual orientation, gender, immigration, etc. The main event is the pride parade which is a march through the city filled with costumes, music, banners, and a variety people. It also has marches, market layout and vendors, concerts, dance parties, motorcycle shows, cultural exhibits, etc. The annual pride week began when a group of dykes, gay men, drag queens, and gender non-comfimirst joined together to fight back against the discrimination of police brutality. At the time police raids on gay bars were common because homosexual sex was illegal in all but one state in the United States. On June 28, 1969, the police raided a popular gay bar called Stonewall Inn. Every one was cooperative until the police between to force three drag queens and a lesbian into the back of a police car. The crowd of bystanders began to throw bottles at the police and fight back. This riot later became known as the Stonewall riot. The riot lasted for several days and began one of the first equal right protest for the LGBT community. That riot was the beginning of the LGBT rights movements and the opportunity and gateway for Atlanta Pride.

As stated by the Atlanta Pride Committee in 1970, a year after the Stonewall Riot, many activist marched down Peachtree Street in Atlanta, GA representing the first pride parade. The first march received no media coverage or any known documentation. In 1972, hundreds of people marched in the parade, that year the parade was covered by local television stations. In 1973, marchers wore paper bags over over their hands to hide their identity protecting themselves from the dangers they may face and to represent how invisible they felt in their communities. In 2001, the Pride parade became the largest event in history with over 150 entries. In 2010, Atlanta Pride takes place in Mid-October to represent the "National Coming Out Day".