• Pink (sexuality)

• Red (life)

• Orange (healing)

• Yellow (sunlight)

• Green (nature)

• Turquoise (magic)

• Indigo/blue (serenity)

• Violet (spirit).

 Within a year, the flag had shed two of its stripes—pink and violet. According to Gilbert, they “ran out of pink dye.” The violet stripe was later taken out to create an even number of stripes on the flag. Since, many variations of the flag have been created. For instance, a black stripe is added to some symbolizing those lost to AIDS. There are also variations to represent bisexual people, bears and others.

Portions of these proceeds will benefit the Flagstaff High School Gay Straight Alliance to send at least two to three individuals to the 2012 1n10 (1n10.org) youth summer retreat.

The board of directors would like to encourage those to stand up and show your support for our youth and others who are coming out. We will be wearing shirts to encourage this mission of acceptance and equality for our community.

Please email us at info@flagstaffpride.org  for more information.

Some sad statistics regarding the unfair treatment
of GLBTQ community members

• The number of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in the USA killed in homophobic or transphobic incidents increased by 28% in 2009 compared to 2010.
• On a daily basis, 73.6% of GLBTQ youth hear derogatory remarks at school, such as “faggot” or “dyke.”
• 44.1% of GLBTQ youth have reported being physically harassed.

We’ve all been shocked and saddened by the rising number of suicides by youth who were bullied for being gay this past year. We are also troubled by how many children and teens in our community face harassment and bullying every single day for simply being who they are.

We at Northern Arizona Pride Association stand by our youth in Flagstaff and all over the world, to say that this bullying behavior must stop, and that they do have friends and allies who will stand up for their right to have healthy child- and teen-hoods, free from harassment.

We at NAPA are making an effort in providing a safe outlet for those in our GLBTQ community. We have added a link to the Trevor Project, a national 24-hour, toll free confidential suicide hotline for gay and questioning youth. The Trevor Project is a non-profit organization that operates the only nationwide, around-the-clock crisis and suicide prevention helpline for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (GLBTQ) youth. The Trevor Project also provides guidance and vital resources to parents and educators in order to foster safe, accepting and inclusive environments for all youth, at home and at school.

It starts at home, it starts now.

A few recent victims:

Seth Walsh, 13.
Asher Brown, 13.
Billy Lucas, 15.
Justin Aaberg, 15.
Tyler Clementi, 18
Lawrence King, 15
And more………

The Northern Arizona Pride Association planted its roots in Flagstaff, Arizona in the winter of 1996.  The inaugural Pride in the Pines festival was held that summer at Ft. Tuthill County Fairgrounds.  With 300 in attendance, the 1st Annual Pride in the Pines encouraged a new wave of diversity in small town Arizona, paving the way for the GLBT community in Flagstaff.

The celebration moved into Wheeler Park in front of City Hall the following year, solidifying the importance and power that this one-day of pride and unity could create in Flagstaff.  After the 2nd Annual Pride in the Pines, NAPA board members also established relationships with larger, regional GLBT pride organizations, such as San Francisco Pride, LA Pride, and InterPride.  In 1999, NAPA secured its first grant from the City of Flagstaff Arts & Science Commission and attained nonprofit status from the State of Arizona.  In 2000, Pride in the Pines received official city recognition with the first proclamation declaring that day as Pride in the Pines Day in Flagstaff by then Mayor Joe Donaldson, a proclamation that continues to this day.

The 2002 Pride in the Pines saw record attendance and enjoyed the first festival headliner, Erin Hamilton.  NAPA has continued this tradition, with recent headliners that includes Jodi Watley, CeCe Peniston, and Chaka Chan.  NAPA continues to organize successful Pride in the Pines festivals, as well as holding benefits throughout the year for area AIDS advocacy organizations and GLBT youth groups.

NAPA has made great strides to bring GLBT issues into the forefront of Flagstaff.  From our beginning of 300 attendees at a county fairground on the outskirts of town to our current festival of several thousand next to City Hall, the Northern Arizona Pride Association’s Pride in the Pines is now one of the largest and well-attended events in the City of Flagstaff, Arizona. Last year’s 2010 Festival, NAPA received the Key to the City for its accomplishments of insuring its legacy as an organization in promoting acceptance and understanding.

Northern Arizona Pride Association is delighted to be able to celebrate its 15^th years of Pride in the Pines and our 14^th year in downtownWheeler Park.

-Pride Movement History-

Each year in June the GLBTQ community celebrate Gay Pride Month. The history of Gay Pride Celebrations began in 1969 in Greenwich Village, New York City at the Stonewall Inn.

At the time, it was common all over the United States for police to raid gay and lesbian bars. While they were purportedly looking for liquor law or other violations, patrons were arrested and dragged off to jail with no legitimate charges. The names of those arrested were often published in the papers and many of those people were fired from their jobs as a result.

In 1969 bars were about the only places gays and lesbians could gather in public. Most times, when the police would raid a bar, the gay and lesbian clientele would try to slip out the back or cower in the corners.

The Stonewall Riots

But on the night of June 27^th in 1969 something different happened. When police raided the Stonewall Inn, the butch lesbians and drag queens fought back. The bar patrons threw bottles and rocks at the police. They chanted, “Gay Power!” For several nights crowds grew outside the Stonewall Inn.

Word quickly spread around the country about the gay people who fought back against the police. The event became known as the Stonewall Rebellion or Stonewall Riots. Although there was a small gay rights movement around the country prior to Stonewall, after 1969 the movement changed.

The 1960s was a time of revolution. The Civil Rights Movement was in full swing and people took to the streets to protest the war in Vietnam. It was only a matter of time before gays and lesbians stood up for their rights as well.

Ever since, gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people celebrate pride and call for basic civil rights by commemorating Stonewall. In New York City they march on the last Saturday in June. Across the US and all over the world, gays and lesbians remember the brave men and women of Stonewall every June in Gay Pride celebrations.