East Central Minnesota Pride

East Central Minnesota Pride provides LGBTQ+ individuals, those questioning, and their friends, family, and allies with an opportunity to connect and build community in an otherwise isolated part of the state.

Without the event, organizers believe an LGBTQ+ community might not exist here. Larger cities worldwide, from London to Minneapolis, have hosted Pride events for decades. Pine City’s Pride began as the first truly rural Pride in the nation! The event’s growth, marked by record attendance, vendors, sponsors, and supporters, underscores its importance.

"I'm more than proud of the LGBTQ+ community in East Central Minnesota. They all work very hard every year to put together the Pine City event." — Small Business Owner in Pine City

Those involved in organizing East Central Minnesota Pride include the East Central Minnesota Men's Circle, East Central Minnesota Purple Circle, East Central Minnesota chapter of PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays), Rural AIDS Action Network, Rainbow Health Minnesota, and OutFront Minnesota. Several regional businesses also sponsor the event.

East Central Minnesota Pride has enhanced the quality of life in this part of the state in several ways. It supports vulnerable LGBTQ+ youth, especially those at risk of suicide, by demonstrating that a supportive community exists nearby. It fosters civil rights engagement as LGBTQ+ people in Minnesota seek to unite for civil rights. It also promotes tolerance through community dialogue on LGBTQ+ issues. The event is innovative in its scale and approach for a small town.

While other Minnesota Pride events are held in metropolitan areas like Fargo-Moorhead, Duluth-Superior, Mankato, Rochester, and the Twin Cities, Pine City's Pride has inspired other outstate cities like Brainerd, Fergus Falls, and Willmar to host their own events. There is hope that this model will spread to small towns across the state and the country, allowing more people to show their pride.

Organizers plan to evaluate the event to identify improvements and ways to reach a wider LGBTQ+ audience in East Central Minnesota. They also aim to make the event welcoming for those who are closeted and wish to come out and connect with others nearby. The planning and organization of the event can serve as a model for other small-town Pride events seeking to form across the state or elsewhere in the U.S.