Noho Pride was an annual
LGBT pride event, consisting of a
parade and a rally, held in
Northampton, Massachusetts in early May. It was first held in 1982, and then every year afterwards until 2020.
1982-1988
Noho Pride started as the Northampton
Lesbian and
Gay Liberation March, which was first held in May 1982.[1] The march was organized in response to harassment that LGBTQ residents were facing and to legislation which denied money to groups that "promoted homosexuality".[1][2][3] The march was organized by the Gay and Lesbian Activists (GALA), who consisted of local residents.[1] Marchers walked from the Bridge Street School to
Pulaski Park.[2] They faced backlash, with marchers having
eggs thrown at them from windows and by passersby.[1] Educators who joined the march wore
paper bags over their heads to disguise their identities, as they could be fired if their
employers knew they were gay.[1] In 1983 an estimated 1-2,000 people were expected to attend.[4]
In 1984 GALA was denied a permit by the city, and they filed a lawsuit in response. The
Hampshire Superior Court threw out the city's parade ordinance.[5] The 1985 march was attended by about 1,500 people.[6]
1989-1999
In early 1989 conflicts arose after the event's name was changed to the Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual March (although bisexuals had been included since at least 1986).[7][8][9] Lesbian activists feared the inclusion of
bisexuality would lead to the decentering or exclusion of lesbian speakers and activism.[8] The name was changed back in 1990, but disagreements continued on the extent to which bisexuality should be included in the event, with some bisexual individuals boycotting the march.[8][10][11] The event's name was again changed to the Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Pride March in 1992.[8][12] In 1993 the name was again expanded to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and
Transgender Pride March.[8][13]
2011 marked the event's 30th anniversary, during which
Robyn Ochs served as the event's first openly
bisexual grand marshal.[16] One group, the Queer Insurgency Collective, protested the supposed commercialization, racially homogenous, and apolitical nature of the event.[17]
As of 2014, the event cost an estimated $30,000 to put on.[18]
An estimated 30,000 people attended the event in 2017.[19]
In 2019 the event drew between 30,000 and 35,000 people.[20] In 2020 the event was cancelled due to the
COVID-19 pandemic, but a virtual 'parade' was still held.[21][22] During the following years the event struggled to reorganize, and in 2023 the event was replaced by Hampshire Pride.[23]