History
Cleveland Pride celebrates its 22st Lesbian Gay Bi Trans Pride Parade and Festival on Saturday, June 26, 2010.
Each June communities all over the world celebrate Gay Pride Month to commemorate the Stonewall Riots of 1969 that sparked the gay rights movement in America. Cleveland’s Pride is among the first half dozen such celebrations started in the U.S., making our Parade and Festival among the longest continuing Pride events in the country.
Our pride celebration began as a small event located on W. 29th Street, a small side street on the near west side with several hundred people, one stage and a dozen vendors. We added a Parade to our festivities in 1990 with 600 walking tall. In 1994, we came out of our closet moving first to public square and then in 1996 to our current location at Voinovich Park, behind the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, enjoying the amazing Cleveland skyline and the wonders of Lake Erie.
Our Parade steps off from W. 3rd and St. Clair, proceeds east on Lakeside, then north on E. 9th taking over 2,500 folks including over 20 floats and 30 community groups directly into Voinovich Park. Our Festival features three stages, a food court, a beer garden, dancing and in partnership with the Lesbian Gay Community Service Center also includes a children’s pavilion, youth zone and senior space. Our festival has grown to over 12,500 attendees, gay and straight, who come to celebrate our LGBT community and demonstrate our success building bridges within our community and all of Greater Cleveland.
| 2009- Equality through Unity | ||
| Location: Voinovich Park | Parade: 3,200 | Festival: 10,100 |
| Board: Todd J Saporito President/CEO, Lee Dybo Treasurer/CFO Coordinators: Matthew Hout, Keith Madden, Michelle Nicopolis, Jeff Steinberg |
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| 2008- Generations of Pride | ||
| Location: Voinovich Park | Parade: 3,000 | Festival: 12,500 |
| Board: Todd J Saporito President/CEO, Lee Dybo Treasurer/CFO Coordinators: Jamie Moore, Brynna Fish |
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| 2007 – Cruising with Pride | ||
| Location: Voinovich Park | Parade: 2,100 | Festival: 8,500 |
| Board: Alexander Leopold Pres, Jean Kosmac Tres Coordinators: Brynna Fish and Dan Kilbane |
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| 2006 – Calling All Heros | ||
| Location: Voinovich Park | Parade: 2,500 | Festival: 7,500 |
| Board: Keli Zehnder Pres, David Ream Tres Coordinators: Brynna Fish and Vivian Schilla |
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| 2005 – The Greatest Pride | ||
| Location: Voinovich Park | Parade: 2,000 | Festival: 6,000 |
| Board: Keli Zehnder Pres, David Ream Tres Coordinators: Brynna Fish and Brian Thornton |
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| 2004 – Are You Proud? | ||
| Location: Voinovich Park | Parade: 1,400 | Festival: 5,000 |
| Board: Brian Thornton Pres, Mike Dodge Tres Coordinators: Brynna Fish and Joan Burda |
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| 2003 – 24.7.365 | ||
| Location: Voinovich Park | Parade: 1,200 | Festival: 4,750 |
| Board: Brian Thornton Pres, Rick Starn Tres Coordinators: Brynna Fish and Joan Burda |
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| 2002 – Thinking Outside the Triangle | ||
| Location: Voinovich Park | Parade: 1,100 | Festival: 4,500 |
| Board: Bob Krabbe Pres, Rick Starn Tres Coordinators: Brynna Fish and Ron Grey |
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| 2001 – Imagine all the Pride | ||
| Location: Voinovich Park | Parade: 1,100 | Festival: 4,500 |
| Board: Bob Krabbe Pres, Rick Starn Tres Coordinators: Brynna Fish and Ron Grey |
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| 2000 – Planet Pride | ||
| Location: Voinovich Park | Parade: 1,324 | Festival: 4,250 |
| Board: Rick Starn Pres, Tim Jenkins Tres Coordinators: Brynna Fish and Brooke Willis |
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| 1999 – Peace, Love, Pride | ||
| Location: Voinovich Park | Parade: none | Festival: 1,000 |
| Board: Rick Starn Pres, Tom Isabel Tres Coordinators: Brynna Fish and Brooke Willis |
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| 1998 – Believe the Power of Pride | ||
| Location: Voinovich Park | Parade: 1,103 | Festival: 4,000 |
| Board: Rick Starn Pres, Tom Isabel Tres Coordinators: Brynna Fish and Brooke Willis |
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| 1997 – Cleveland Pride Family Reunion | ||
| Location: Voinovich Park | Parade: 1,234 | Festival: 3750 |
| Board: Rick Starn Pres, Tom Isabel Tres Coordinators: Brynna Fish and Brooke Willis |
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| 1996 – Pride at Pier Park | ||
| Location: Voinovich Park | Parade: 1,264 | Festival: 3,500 |
| Board: Rick Starn Pres, Scott Hare Tres Coordinators: Brynna Fish and Brooke WillisVendor survey about LGBT inclusion. |
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| 1995 – Walk the Dream, Tim Hillyard March | ||
| Location: Public Square | Parade: 832 | Festival: 2,500 |
| Board: Nancy Logan Pres, Scott Hare Tres Coordinators: Brynna Fish and Izzy SchachnerBilly Graham was at the old Browns Stadium, that day, and Bob Strohman and other religious leaders. |
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| 1994 – Community of Pride | ||
| Location: Public Square | Parade: 900 | Festival: 2,500 |
| Board: Nancy Logan, Scott Hare, Jay Ruffin Tres, Martha Pontoni, Brian Dewitt and Doug Braun
Coordinators: Brynna Fish and Izzy Schachner |
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| 1993 – Family of Pride | ||
| Location: West 29th (old Center) | Parade: 600 | Festival: 1,800 |
| Board: Nancy Logan, Scott Hare, Jay Ruffin, Martha Pontoni, Brian Dewitt and Doug Braun | ||
| 1992 – Evolution Revolution | ||
| Location: West 29th (old Center) | Parade: 600 | Festival: 1,500 |
| 1991 – Bridging the Gaps | ||
| Location: West 29th (old Center) | Parade: 1,000 | Festival: 2,000 |
| 1990 – Look to the Future | ||
| Location: West 29th (old Center) | Parade: 600 | Festival: 2,000 |
| 1989 – An Out of the Closet Experience | ||
| Location: W.29th (old Center) | Parade: none | Festival: 1,000 |
| Founders: Bob Laycock, Brian Dewitt, Doug Braun, Susan Schnur, Drew Cari, Kevin Beanie, Jay Ruffin, and Martha Pontoni | ||

Cleveland Pride 2010.
June 26, 2010.
12:00 to 9:00 p.m.
Voinovich Park.
Cleveland, Ohio.



