Pride Bands Alliance is an international network of LGBTQ+ and affirming bands. Pride Bands Alliance was originally formed as the Lesbian and Gay Bands of America when members of seven independent lesbian and gay bands met formally in Chicago from October 1–3, 1982. Those bands were the San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band (founded June, 1978), the Montrose March Band (Houston, founded June, 1978), the Los Angeles Great American Yankee (GAY) Freedom Band (founded October, 1978), the New York Gay Community Marching Band (founded September, 1979), the Chicago Gay/Lesbian Community Band (founded 1979), DC's Different Drummers (Washington, DC, founded January 7, 1980), and the Oak Lawn Symphonic Band (Dallas, founded May 6, 1980), and the Minnesota Freedom Band (Minneapolis founded September 12, 1982). In 2003 the organization changed the name to Lesbian and Gay Band Association and in 2021 to Pride Bands Alliance to reflect the diversity of the membership. Pride Bands Alliance currently includes over 30 bands in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and Australia.
The purpose of Pride Bands Alliance is to promote LGBTQ+ Music, Visibility, and Pride by:
- Providing an international network of LGBTQ+ and affirming bands in all stages of development;
- Promoting music as a medium of communication among people;
- Improving the quality of artistic and organizational aspects of member bands; and
- Stimulating public interest in the unique art form of community bands in our culture.
Membership
Pride Bands Alliance is made up of member bands, partner groups, and individual affiliate members.
Great performances are the most visible manifestation of the pride band movement. Member bands across the country appear in hundreds of concerts, parades, and community events every year. Member bands in geographic proximity often perform together, and a typical marching schedule will include LGBTQ+ pride parades in several different cities.
Pride Bands Alliance strives to unite people who share a love of band music, and the bands help create and enhance the "community" its members call home. Pride Bands Alliance member bands are sources of pride within their cities, as well as positive symbols of the same communities. Making music creates a family where affection means more than affectional preference. By "banding together," Pride Bands Alliance shows that people of different sexes, ages, creeds, races, and challenges can build a strong community.
Conferences and Special Events
Pride Bands Alliance meets annually hosted by one or more member bands. Members of bands from around the world gather to conduct organizational business, elect officers, encourage the formation of new bands, and share the gift of music. Seminars on topics such as musicianship, programming, membership diversity, and organizational skills are held in addition to general business and committee meetings. Often special ensembles such as saxophone choirs, clarinet choirs and jazz bands are organized by the membership and perform at the conferences. There have been special guest conductors and composers at past Pride Bands Alliance annual conferences.
At the 2004 conference in Fort Lauderdale the massed band played Russian Christmas Music under the direction of composer Alfred Reed, and In Glory Triumphant conducted by composer Robert Longfield. During the 2005 conference, composer Frank Ticheli conducted a band of 120 musicians in Abracadabra and An American Elegy.
For the 2012 Conference in Dallas, the Pride Bands Alliance commissioned a new work by composer Michael Markowski. He composed City Trees to Commemorate 30 Years of Music, Visibility, and Pride.
The 2018 conference, "There's No Place Like Home" was held in Kansas City, Missouri.
The Orlando conference in 2019 was hosted by the three Pride Bands Alliance member bands in Florida, the South Florida Pride Wind Ensemble of Fort Lauderdale, the Tampa Bay Pride Band, and the Central Florida Sounds of Freedom Band and Color Guard in Orlando. The concert included the world premiere of two commission pieces by LGBTQ+ composers. Julie Giroux composed and conducted My Soul to Keep, dedicated to all touched by gun violence. Randall Standridge composed Stonewall: 1969, to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Stonewall Riots.
| The Heart of It All | Columbus, OH | July 17-21, 2024 |
| Rocky Mountain Dreams | Denver, CO | August 31-September 3, 2023 |
| Sweet Home Chicago | Chicago, IL | May 26–29, 2022 |
| Bigger and Brighter | Houston, TX | November 18-21, 2021 |
| Tutti | virtual conference | July 25–26, 2020 |
| Building Bridges (cancelled due to COVID-19) | Portland, OR | July 2020 |
| Looking Back, Marching Forward | Orlando, FL | October 10–13, 2019 |
| World Pride | New York City, NY | June 28–30, 2019 |
| Gay Games X | Paris, France | August 9–17, 2018 |
| There's No Place Like Home | Kansas City, MO | May 23–27, 2018[1] |
| The Stars at Night (cancelled due to Hurricane Harvey) | Houston, TX | August 30–September 4, 2017[2] |
| California Gold | Palm Springs, CA | November 2–6, 2016[3] |
| Music, Visibility and Pride | Indianapolis, IN | August 6–9, 2015 |
| Fiesta Caliente | Fort Lauderdale, FL | November 6–9, 2014 |
| Gay Games IX - Salute to Rock and Roll / Personal Best | Cleveland, OH | August 9–17, 2014 |
| Color Our World | Atlanta, GA | October 10–13, 2013 |
| Presidential Inaugural Parade | Washington, DC | January 2013 |
| Go West with a Twist | Dallas, TX | September 13–16, 2012 |
| Lights! Camera! Action! | Seattle, WA | October 13–15, 2011 |
| Gay Games VIII | Cologne, Germany | August 10–18, 2010 |
| Stop the World - I Wanna Get On! | Indianapolis, IN | March 24–28, 2010 |
| Incantations | New Orleans, LA | September 3–6, 2009 |
| Presidential Inaugural Parade | Washington, DC | January 20, 2009 |
| Deliciously Wicked! | New York City, NY | October 30 - November 2, 2008 |
| Silver in St. Louis | St. Louis, MO | October 4–7, 2007 |
| Gay Games VII - When the World Listens | Chicago, IL | July 12–15, 2006 |
| Sunshine Summit | Palm Springs, CA | November 3–6, 2005 |
| SF4 – Fourth Dimension | Fort Lauderdale, FL | November 2004 |
| Minnesota State Fair | Minneapolis, MN | August 28 – September 2, 2003 |
| Under New Skies | Melbourne, Australia | October 2002 |
| Gay Games VI | Sydney, Australia | October 2002 |
| Meet Me in St. Louis | St. Louis, MO | September 13–16, 2001 |
| LGBA Conference | Washington, DC | April 29—30, 2000 |
| Millennium March on Washington | Washington, DC | April 29–30, 2000 |
| Blast Off – Gays in Space | Fort Lauderdale, FL | February 1999 |
| Friendship – Gay Games V | Amsterdam | August 1998 |
| LGBA Conference | Oklahoma City, OK | April 23—26, 1998 |
| Hollywood Goes Down Under | Los Angeles, CA | September 1997 |
| LGBA Conference | San Francisco, CA | April 1997 |
| Presidential Inaugural Parade/Concert | Washington, DC | January 1997 |
| LGBA Conference | Rochester, NY | September 1996 |
| LGBA Conference | San Antonio, TX | April 1996 |
| LGBA Conference | Indianapolis, IN | Fall 1995 |
| LGBA Conference | Denver, CO | Spring 1995 |
| This is It! | Ft Lauderdale, FL | October 1994 |
| Here and Now - Gay Games IV | New York, NY | June 1994 |
| LGBA Conference | Denver, CO | April 1994 |
| LGBA Conference | Dallas, TX | October 1993 |
| Americans We / 1993 March on Washington | Washington, DC | April 1993 |
| Presidential Inaugural Parade/Concert | Washington, DC | January 1993 |
| Dreams: Toward the Next Rainbow | San Francisco, CA | September 1992 |
| American Bandsong | Philadelphia, PA | March 1992 |
| Stars Across America | Houston, TX | October 1991 |
| band.ol.o.gy | Baltimore, MD | April 1991 |
| March on Washington | Washington, DC | October 1990 |
| Beyond the Rainbow - Gay Games III | Vancouver, BC | August 1990 |
| LGBA Conference | Denver, CO | March 1990 |
| LGBA Conference | Minneapolis, MN | September 15—17, 1989 |
| Showboat ‘89 | Ft. Lauderdale, FL | April 7–9, 1989 |
| Banding Together | Boston, MA | October 1988 |
| Takin’ It Downtown | San Diego, CA | February 26–28, 1988 |
| Let Freedom Ring | Washington, DC | October 1987 |
| Southwest Celebration | Phoenix, AZ | March 20–22, 1987 |
| LGBA Conference | Dallas, TX | September 1986 |
| With the Greatest of Ease - Gay Games II | San Francisco, CA | August 9–17, 1986 |
| Chinese New Year's Parade | San Francisco, CA | March 8–9, 1986 |
| Notes Across the Nation | Denver, CO | October 18–21, 1985 |
| One Night Only | New York, NY | March 22–24, 1985 |
| LGBA Conference | Minneapolis, MN | October 12–14, 1984 |
| A Gay Night at the Hollywood Bowl | Los Angeles, CA | June 1984 |
| LGBA Conference | Houston, TX | Spring 1984 |
| LGBA Conference | Los Angeles, CA | September 30—October 2, 1983 |
| LGBA Conference | Washington, DC | February 18—21, 1983 |
| LGBA Founded | Chicago, IL | October 1—2, 1982 |
Notable performances
Pride Bands Alliance was the first openly LGBTQ+ organization invited to participate in a parade and review of the United States presidential inauguration, first doing so in 2009. The 2013 inaugural featured a 215-strong Pride Bands Alliance contingent hailing from different U.S. localities. Members of then Pride Bands Alliance also performed during both inaugurals of President Bill Clinton in 1993 and 1997.
The Pride Bands Alliance performed in Washington, DC for the March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation (1987) and again for the Millennium March on Washington in April 2000 with concerts at the Warner Theatre (1993) and on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial (2000).
The 4th conference was held in Los Angeles, CA and featured a concert at the Hollywood Bowl with special guest Rita Moreno. The concert, A Gay Night at the Bowl was performed on June 30, 1984.
See also
References
- ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2018-02-03. Retrieved 2017-07-15.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ↑ "LGBA 2017 - the Stars at Night". Archived from the original on 2018-02-03. Retrieved 2018-04-05.
- ↑ "HOME". www.lgba2016.org. Archived from the original on 16 November 2016. Retrieved 12 January 2022.