Down East Pride (1994-1999)

Formation:

Down East Pride was initially conceptualized in July of 1994, when members of the Greenville community began calling for the creation of a regional pride festival in eastern North Carolina. In the months following, local activists reached out to local businesses and LGBT organizations across the state to assist in forming an organization to meet these needs. These efforts eventually paid off and the Down East Pride officially became a non-profit (501c3) organization in the fall of 1994.   

Goals:

1. To create a network which will link-up the lesbigay community throughout the eastern part of the state.
2. To nurture development of the Down East lesbigay community.
3. To serve as an educational resource for the Down East lesbigay community.
4. To donate resources to local charities.
5. To sponsor special events throughout the year.
6. To sponsor an annual pride festival.

Involvement:

Just like the Eastern Gay Alliance of 1975, one of the Down East Pride’s earliest efforts as an organization was the self-publication of the Down East newsletter, featured below. The Down East provided the community with local and regional news that was frequently absent from even North Carolina’s LGBT media outlets. The newsletter was published monthly from August of 1995 until January of 1997, when it transitioned to the seasonal Down East Voice. These publications, coupled with the immergence of the World Wide Web, allowed the Down East Pride to quickly establish itself at both the state and local levels. The DEP was able to efficiently fundraise by organizing local community events that promoted community building, such as drag show performances and potluck dinners. Down East Pride was also heavily involved in political activism across the state, ranging from protesting at the state capital in Raleigh to participating in voter registration efforts.

In September of 1995, Down East Pride was able to make good on the organization’s original purpose: to develop the first regional pride festival for eastern North Carolina. Moreover, the group was able to provide this event to the Greenville community for nearly five consecutive years.

First Down East Pride Festival

September 22-23, 1995

“Coming Together With Pride”

Greenville’s first LGBT pride festival. Down East Pride received letters of support from ECU Alumna Sandra Bullock and former Congresswoman Eva Clayton. Although they did not endorse the event, the Greenville City Council unanimously voted to support the DEP’s right to organize the festival.   

Down East Pride organizers estimated an attendance of about 400 people. Anti-gay protesters rallied in front of the Pitt County Courthouse in opposition to the pride festival, which featured several local churches and a Greenville Mayoral candidate. One local church placed an advertisement in the Daily Reflector denouncing the festival and any city council member that supported the event.

Workshop Topics:

• Self-esteem
• HIV/AIDS
• Domestic Violence

Outdoor Festival:

• ECU School of Dance
• East Carolina Native American Dancers
• Drag performances

Notable Speakers:

• Franklin Fry – Co-Chair of Stonewall 25, an international gay rights march in 1994 
• Mandy Carter – Director of the Black Gay and Lesbian Leadership Forum, Washington, DC
• Don Davis – Member of the Board of Directors for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
• M.K. Cullen – Executive Director of NC Pride PAC for Lesbian and Gay Equality

Second Down East Pride Festival

September 13-14, 1996

“Today in Peace, Forever in Freedom”

Down East Pride organizers estimated an attendance of about 500 to 600 people.

Several anti-gay letters were published in the Daily Reflector and The East Carolinian condemning the pride festival. One local resident even blamed the destruction from Hurricane Fran on the pride festival, arguing that the homosexuals had unleashed “God’s fury.” 

The festival was funded with a $1,500 grant from the Fund for Southern Communities.

Workshop Topics:

• Religion
• HIV/AIDS
• Bisexuality
• Rural Organizing
• Hate Crimes

Outdoor Festival:

• Drag performances
• Alan Arnett Dancers
• Fuego del Alma

Notable Speakers:

• Franklin Fry, Mandy Carter, Don Davis, and M.K. Cullen returned
• Rt. Rev. Craig Bettendorf – Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Anglican Church in America
• Sharon Brown – Transgender activist in North Carolina
• Ed Carter – Former mayor of Greenville and former chairman of the Greenville City School Board
• Kate Clemm – Southeastern Delegate for BiNet USA and co-facilitator of the Triangle Bisexual Network
• Mildred Council – Member of the Greenville City Council since 1987
• Pat Hussain – Member of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force’s Board of Directors
• Myriah McGuire – Founder of the Brenda Lee Gribben Foundation
• Kenda Kirby – Former executive director of the NC Coalition for Gay and Lesbian Equality
• Pam McMichael – Co-director of Southerners On New Ground
• Carol Peppe Hewitt and Martha Waters – National Coalition Building Institute associates
• Pastor Kathi Beall – St. Jude’s Metropolitan Community Church, Wilmington, NC

Breaking Barriers: Successful Grassroots Organizing in The Rural South

May 16-17, 1997

Sponsored by Down East Pride and B-GLAD, the Breaking Barriers conference was designed to promote the development of grassroots activism across North Carolina. The event was partially funded by grants from the Fund for Southern Communities and the Bert and Mary Meyer Foundation.

Workshops focused on organizational topics, including:

• Meeting Efficiency (time management, sustainability, etc.)
• Outreach (straight allies, religious institutions, etc.)
• Media Presence (press relationships, visibility, advertising, etc.)
• Community Diversity (gender expression and racial inclusivity)
• Education (state/local resources, literature, etc.)

Speakers:

• Doug Hess – Southern Field Organizer for the Human Rights Campaign
• Teddy Witherington – President of the European Pride Organizers Association
• Rev. Father James Beatty – Good Shepherd Anglican Church, Greenville, NC
• Kate Clemm – Southeastern Organizer for BiNet USA and Building Bridges Committee Chair for NC Pride ‘97
• Cathy Surles – President-elect of NC Gay and Lesbian Attorneys
• Clejetter Pickett – Staff writer at the Greenville Daily Reflector
• Andrew Rapp – Managing Editor of The Front Page
• M.K. Cullen – Executive Director of NC Pride PAC for Lesbian and Gay Equality
• Dr. Thomas Maple – Counselor at the ECU Counseling Center
• Pastor Kathi Beall – St. Jude’s Metropolitan Community Church, Wilmington, NC
• Stan Holt – Executive Director of Genesis Home, Durham, NC
• Randy Cahoon – Media Coordinator for AIDS/HIV Action, New Bern, NC
• Cheryl Hopkins – Co-Chair of People of All Colors Together (Greensboro/Triad) and Chair Emeritus of NC Pride ‘96
• Sam Isley – United Methodist Reconciling Church Program
• Susan Jaquith – Gay, Lesbian and Affirming Disciples Alliance of the Christian Church
• Pam McMichael – Co-director of Southerners On New Ground
• Dr. Michael Bassman – Director of the Ethnic Studies Program at ECU and member of DEP Board of Directors
• Mark Canterbury – President of the International Association of Lesbian and Gay Pride Coordinators (IAL/GPC
• James Gillman – Region Five Director of the IAL/GPC

Third Down East Pride Festival

September 5-6, 1997

“Equality Through Visibility”

Attendance during the closing event was estimated to be between 400 and 500 people. Former President Bill Clinton even sent a letter of support and encouragement (pictured left) to Down East Pride, which was featured in the festival program. DEP financed the festival using the remaining funds from the Fund for Southern Communities and Bert and Mary Meyer Foundation grants.

Workshop Topics:

• Religion and spirituality in the gay community
• HIV Healthcare in rural North Carolina
• LGBT in the African American community

Festival Events:

• Drag performances
• Town Commons Jazz Quartet and East Winds Trio
• NC Pride Marching Band
• Kid Sister
• Monologues from Steve Willis’ “Notso Plain Folks.”
• “Friend-Raiser” party sponsored by the NC Pride PAC

Speakers:

• Mandy Carter, Don Davis, and M.K. Cullen returned
• Allan Taziri – Board member of North Carolinians Against Racist and Religious Violence
• Marie Farr – ECU’s Women Studies Program

Fourth Down East Pride Festival

September 18-20, 1998

“Our Down East Community, Our Down East PRIDE”

No estimate for attendance was recorded, but media reports described “hundreds” of visitors. Down East Pride received a second letter of support from former President Bill Clinton for the 1998 festival (pictured right). The two-day event was funded with a $5,000 grant from the Bert and Mary Meyer Foundation.

Workshop Topics:

• Rural Organizing
• LGBT Marriage/Commitment
• Issues facing NC’s LGBT Community
• Coming out to Loved Ones

Festival Events:

• Triangle Gay Men’s Chorus
• Drag performances
• Red Letter Day
• Magdalen Hsu-Li

Notable Speakers:

• Mandy Carter, Don Davis, and M.K. Cullen returned, marking their fourth year participating
• Kate Clemm – Southeastern Regional Organizer for BiNet USA
• Beth Stringfield - NC Pride PAC for Lesbian and Gay Equality

Fifth Down East Pride Festival

September 13-19, 1999

“Pride is a feeling that lasts forever…”

The Down East Pride’s previous success with the festivals had largely been the result of its strong relationship with the Greenville community. However, dwindling resources began to strain the efforts of DEP to maintain local interest in these events, which in turn caused a decrease in volunteer participation. This was most notable between the 1998 and 1999 festivals, when the number of speakers and workshops both decreased by sixty percent. Unable to remedy the growing disparity, festival organizers decided that the Down East Pride Festival of 1999 would be the fifth and final festival.

Workshop Topics:

• History of Drag and Voguing in Greenville
• Bisexuality

Outdoor Festival/Other Events:

• Community Potluck
• Bowling Night
• Outdoor Music Concert
• Pride Dance
• Ecumenical Service

To make matters worse, the inclement weather caused by the arrival of Hurricane Floyd resulted in Down East Pride organizers having to cancel most of the planned events, including the outdoor concert and the workshops. Without the festival to sustain it, the Down East Pride organization was eventually dissolved by late-1999 and replaced by larger, state-wide pride events.