#cincinnati pride

In this month of celebrating Pride, we highlight LGBTQ+ history and representation in Cincinnati.

In the late 1970s the Greater Cincinnati Gay Coalition, later renamed the Greater Cincinnati Gay and Lesbian Coalition (GCGLC) was formed as a parent organization to other LGTBQ+ organizations throughout the city. This created a safe space for people to come and share personal stories, organize events and support each other’s efforts. The GCGLC along other organizations such as PFLAG and Stonewall Cincinnati, just to name a few, were responsible for the Cincinnati Pride we know today.

It should be noted that the Transgender community as well as BIPOC are drastically underrepresented and supported in the LGBTQ+ community. It wasn’t until recently that Transgender people and BIPOC have gained wider acceptance and representation within the United States.  

The Crazy Ladies Bookstore was a hotspot in the LGBTQ+ and Feminist community. Named as a commentary on women being belittled by being deemed as “crazy” or “hysterical”, it was a safe haven for individuals to meet and gather resources to create lasting change in society.

One year after the establishment of the Cincinnati’s first LGBTQ+ organization, Cincinnati held its first Pride Parade in April, 1973. Roughly 400 people attended the parade and despite press releases, there was little to no media coverage of the parade. The Independent Eye (as shown above) and Channel 9 news were the only coverage the parade received. After the parade, there was a dinner and dancing to celebrate the significance of the event.

Pride parades are held all over the world to commemorate the Stonewall riots which sparked the LGBTQ+ movement.

Click here to see this article as is appears in the Independent Eye.

In 1982, The Cincinnati Enquirer ran a 27-page special titled “Homosexuals: A Cincinnati Report.” Editors noted that it was “an attempt to provide a context to understand the lives of perhaps 140,000 Cincinnatians who were gay.” Despite public backlash, a piece of this length in a well-known newspaper was unheard of in 1982. However, it provided the LGBTQ+ community the much needed visibility they deserve.

Click here to view the full 27-page special.

Be sure to visit our Digital Library to view more Cincinnati history! Happy Pride!