By Las Vegas PRIDE Magazine Staff

In recent years, we’ve witnessed a concerning trend: the misuse of the term “PRIDE” by various entities that do not directly benefit or support the LGBTQIA+ community. This not only confuses potential supporters but also dilutes the impact of our genuine PRIDE events and initiatives. To address this issue, we urge everyone to consider using the term “PROUD” when referring to events or promotions that are not directly affiliated with the PRIDE movement. Here’s why this shift in language is crucial for the strength and integrity of our community.

What PRIDE Should Be

PRIDE is more than just a word; it’s a symbol of our collective struggle, progress, and unity. Originally arising from the Stonewall Riots, PRIDE marches and parades have evolved into powerful celebrations of LGBTQIA+ identity and achievements. They serve to uplift marginalized voices, showcase our strength in numbers, and celebrate our diversity. The core of PRIDE is to support and benefit our community.

However, we’re increasingly seeing PRIDE co-opted by events and promotions that don’t align with our values or benefit our causes. This misuse can lead to several detrimental outcomes:

• Misleading Sponsorship Dollars: When businesses and organizations use “PRIDE” for their events but do not channel funds or support towards LGBTQIA+ causes, they mislead sponsors and supporters. This diverts crucial resources away from authentic PRIDE events that truly benefit our community.
• Conflating PRIDE with Marketing: Some entities use PRIDE for mere marketing and product placement, exploiting the term for profit without a genuine commitment to LGBTQIA+ advocacy. This undermines the serious work done by the PRIDE movement.
• Supporting Anti-LGBTQIA+ Agendas: By associating with brands that support anti-LGBTQIA+ agendas, these misuses of PRIDE inadvertently align our community with values contrary to our own.
• Diluting the Movement: The more PRIDE is used indiscriminately, the more it loses its significance and power. This can confuse and disenfranchise our community, weakening the overall impact of our collective efforts.

Why “PROUD” Matters

To preserve the integrity and impact of PRIDE, we suggest adopting the term “PROUD” for events and promotions that do not directly benefit the PRIDE movement. Using “PROUD” can:

• Clarify Intentions: It clearly distinguishes between events that are genuinely aligned with PRIDE’s goals and those that are not. This helps avoid confusion among supporters and ensures that their contributions and engagement are directed towards authentic causes.
• Protect Our Resources: By differentiating between PRIDE and PROUD events, we safeguard our resources and audience from being diluted or misallocated. This helps maintain the effectiveness of our advocacy and fundraising efforts.
• Uphold Core Values: Using “PROUD” reinforces the importance of authenticity and alignment with the values of the PRIDE movement, encouraging organizations to either support us genuinely or clearly indicate their separate identity.

Las Vegas PRIDE: Our Commitment

Las Vegas PRIDE is dedicated to amplifying the voices of the LGBTQIA+ community and supporting our collective causes through meaningful events and advocacy. We:

• Engage Thousands: Our events, including the Las Vegas PRIDE Parade and Festival, attract tens of thousands of attendees annually. Our ongoing events and digital presence engage over 200,000 individuals each month.
• Support the Community: We offer free support and visibility to other LGBTQIA+ charities and causes through our magazine, website, and social media channels.
• Ensure Authenticity: As a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, our primary goal is to uplift and support the LGBTQIA+ community, not to serve as a marketing tool for businesses seeking to capitalize on our name.
• Promoting Equality, Acceptance, and Community: Las Vegas PRIDE events exist to promote visibility, equality, and acceptance for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer individuals within the Las Vegas community. The organization works to create safe, inclusive spaces where people can celebrate their identities, advocate for their rights, and educate others on LGBTQ+ issues. Las Vegas PRIDE leads efforts to combat discrimination, foster a sense of belonging, and support the ongoing fight for social justice and equal rights for all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. The organization’s mission is rooted in love, diversity, and solidarity.

If you are organizing an event that aligns directly with our mission and would like to work with Las Vegas PRIDE, we invite you to contact us to learn more and to discuss possible methods of support that the organization may be able to offer in producing a legitimate PRIDE Event.

If you are organizing an event or promotion that does not align directly with our mission, we encourage you to use “PROUD” to describe it. This simple change helps protect the essence of PRIDE and ensures that our community’s resources and attention are directed towards initiatives that genuinely support and advance our causes.

Join Us in Upholding the Spirit of PRIDE

By clearly distinguishing between PRIDE and PROUD, we can maintain the strength and impact of our movement. We invite all individuals and organizations to join us in this effort. For more information on how to properly align your events with PRIDE or to discuss potential collaborations, please email info@
lasvegaspride.org or visit the Las Vegas PRIDE Event Calendar Submission form at https://lasvegaspride.org/event-calendar-submission/.

Together, let’s ensure that PRIDE remains a powerful and positive force for change, celebrating our community’s diversity and achievements with the respect and authenticity it deserves.

This article was originally published in the 2024 PRIDE Celebration issue of Las Vegas PRIDE Magazine, and can be read in its original format here.