Pride Winnipeg Festival

Photo Credit: Gay & Lesbian Archives

That was then…

On August 2, 1987, about 250 people marched in Winnipeg’s first Pride Day. It was a brave step – a tentative venture out of a dark closet that for too long confined the spirits of those who belong to Winnipeg’s LGBTTQ community. Legally and socially, and in many other ways, the world was still an oppressive and homophobic place. A few people in that first march wore paper bags over their heads to conceal their identities, for fear of discrimination and ridicule from friends, family members, and co-workers.

This is now!

Today, over 30,000 attend the Pride Winnipeg Festival to celebrate our many victories and our diverse community, and to remember that there is so much to be proud of and thankful for. Pride Winnipeg has been celebrated annually since 1987, and has evolved from a one-day event into a 10-day festival filled with pride, confidence, fun, colour, music, laughter, optimism, and activism.

Winnipeg Pride is the Pride of the Prairies – the largest celebration of LGBTTQ culture between Toronto and Vancouver. We invite everyone from far and wide to join our welcoming community and celebrate Pride in Winnipeg – the heart of the continent!