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InterPride is one of few international LGBT entities in operation continuously since the 1980s. InterPride is incorporated in the State of Texas and has been granted Tax Exempt status as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Geared towards networking, education, and mentoring, the group boasts a membership of more than 200 Gay Pride organizations with worldwide representation from more than 10 countries, dedicated to LGBT Pride parades and other events.

Formation of InterPride

In the spring of 1981, Pride Coordinators Rick Turner and Marsha H. Levine, from San Francisco and Boston respectively, met at "Call To Unite"– a gay and lesbian leadership conference in Los Angeles, and the start of an organization then known as NOLAG (National Organization of Lesbians and Gays). While discussing common issues that their individual Pride organizations faced, and remarking that their connections with the New York and Los Angeles Pride committees were helpful for problem-solving, Rick and Marsha felt this trading of information was important and could develop into a potential network.

Almost a year later, Levine sent out a call for the First Annual Conference of the National Association of Lesbian/Gay Pride Coordinators (NAL/GPC)*, to meet in Boston. With the aid of San Diego Gay Pride Committee and chairperson Doug Moore, who had been collecting a list of national Pride organizations, and with small donations from the Los Angeles and Boston Pride Committees, the mailing list from Moore was used to distribute a self-mailing registration form designed and produced by Levine. Though many committees expressed an interest in attending, most didn’t have the funds to send delegates at that time. (*Rick Turner declined joining in establishing the organization, due to his declining health.)

Credit for starting InterPride is often speciously claimed by more than one person/organization. What is verifiable is that in October 1982, in the historic Hill House brownstone row house at 74 Joy Street on famous Beacon Hill, members from the Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, San Diego, and San Francisco Pride committees gathered in response to Levine's mailing.

The meeting site was just down the street from the renowned Freedom Trail, and just steps away from Boston’s Pride parade route and rally site. Three long tables were pushed together to make a triangular seating area. For two days many topics concerning coordinating lesbian/gay pride was discussed, and while each city had different events, they discovered much of the planning and logistics was surprisingly similar. They voted to hold a second conference in San Diego the next year.

The 16 people in attendance at that first call were:
Boston - Marsha H. Levine
New York - Tony Gambino (and lover), Brian O'Dell, David Colle , Janet Love, Fred Goldhaber, R. Paul Martin
San Francisco - Konstantine Berlandt , Glenne McElhinney
Chicago - Rich Pfeiffer
San Diego - Doug Moore
Los Angeles - George Piazzi, Sharon Tobin (and lover, Cheryl), Sean Johnson

Executive Committee

Co-Presidents

Mark Chapman - CSD (Christopher Street Day) Zurich, Switzerland

Trisha Clymore - Atlanta Pride Committee, Atlanta, Georgia, United States.

Vice Presidents of Operations

Hans De Meyer - Brussels Pride, Brussels, Belgium

Caryl Dolinko - Vancouver Pride Society, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Doña Hatch - Human Rights Alliance-Pride on the Plaza, Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States

Billy Urich - Connecticut Pride, Hartford, Connecticut, United States

Vice President of Member Services

Don Mills - Birmingham, Alabama, United States

Treasurer

Jeremiah Megowan - Eugene Pride, Eugene, Oregon, United States.

Secretary

Alan Reiff - Heritage of Pride, New York City, NY, United States.

History and Milestones

Date	Milestone
October 1985	During the organization's conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with representatives of Toronto, Ontario, and Germany in attendance, the membership voted to officially change the organization's name from the National Association of Lesbian/Gay Pride Coordinators, to the International Association of Lesbian/Gay Pride Coordinators (IAL/GPC). The organization also pledged to continue reaching out to other countries.
October 1997	During the organization's conference in New York, its membership voted to establish the "WorldPride" title and awarded it to the city of Rome, Italy, for the year 2000.
October 1999	The first conference held outside North America, in Glasgow, Scotland.
July 2000	The first WorldPride was held in Rome, Italy, coinciding with the Great Jubilee.
October 2001	The first conference held in the southern hemisphere, in Auckland, New Zealand.
October 2003	The first conference held in a city that did not use English as its primary language, in Montreal, Quebec. The conference itself was still conducted in English. During this conference, the second WorldPride title was awarded to the Jerusalem Open House for Pride and Tolerance.
October 2004	The first conference held in a non-English speaking country, in Reykjavik, Iceland.
May 2005	The second WorldPride was postponed until August 2006, owing to the implementation of Israel's unilateral disengagement plan in Gaza.
October 2005	The 24th annual InterPride conference, in Minneapolis-St Paul, Minnesota.
August 2006	The second WorldPride took place, after over a year of delays, in Jerusalem, Israel. The scheduled parade was denied a permit owing to the 2006 Lebanon War. See 2006 Jerusalem gay pride parade
October 2006	The 25th annual InterPride conference, in Portland, Maine.
October 2007	The 26th annual InterPride conference, in Zurich, Switzerland.
October 2008	The 27th annual InterPride conference, in Vancouver, B.C. InterPride 08
October 2009	The 28th annual InterPride conference, in St Petersburg, Florida.
October 2010	The 29th annual InterPride conference, to be held in Long Beach, California, United States

Conferences

During the last 28 years, Pride organizations from every continent have participated in InterPride's annual conference.

InterPride members meet once a year at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of its members. This conference brings together global Pride organizations to share experiences and learn from each other.

InterPride's AGM is hosted by a member organization with workshops on producing LGBTI Pride Events and issues pertinent to our community; along with meetings of the membership, board and committees. Member organizations can vote on the policies and procedures of the organization and the annual international LGBTI Pride Theme.

The business of InterPride is conducted throughout the conference meetings. A general plenary is held for all to attend and all delegates are encouraged to attend committee meetings.

The conference is held each year in a different city, with the location of upcoming conferences being voted on two years prior to their occurrence. To demonstrate a commitment to support and empower the global LGBT Pride community, the conference is now frequently held outside North America, with scholarships available for member organizations that cannot afford to attend.

The 2007 InterPride Conference was held in Zürich, Switzerland from October 11-14, 2007 .

The 2008 InterPride Conference was held October 23rd-26th in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada .

The 2009 InterPride Conference was held October 15th-18th in St. Petersburg, Florida, United States.

The 2010 InterPride Annual Conference will be held October 21-24 in Long Beach, California, United States.

In addition, several of the regions into which InterPride is divided hold their own conferences independent of the worldwide conference .

References

Buchanan, Wyatt. "Broad Opposition to World Pride in Jerusalem", The San Francisco Chronicle, July 26, 2006. Accessed August 5, 2007.
"Jerusalem gay rights group delays WorldPride events due to Gaza withdrawal", The Advocate, May 17, 2005

External links

Category:

LGBT organizations in the United States