About

Who we are

Charlotte Pride is the leader in LGBTQ visibility in Charlotte and the Carolinas. Charlotte Pride presents and collaborates on programs, projects, and activities, including the annual Charlotte Pride Festival and Parade, Charlotte Latine Pride, Charlotte Trans Pride, Charlotte Women’s Pride, Charlotte Pride Interfaith Programs, and Reel Out Charlotte, The Queen City’s Annual LGBTQ Film Festival, among others. Since its founding in 2000, Charlotte Pride has expanded its year-round programming and partnerships to better connect community members with its mission, vision, and values. Charlotte Pride is now one of the largest LGBTQ Pride organizations in the American Southeast.

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Our history

Grounded firmly in the history of the LGBTQ Liberation Movement sparked by the June 1969 Stonewall Riots & Uprising, Charlotte Pride is the modern heir of Pride events and activities in Charlotte tracing back to the 1970s and early 1980s. After a series of Pride or Pride-like events in the ’80s and 90s’ organized by various groups, Charlotte Pride was founded in 2000 and hosted its first annual Charlotte Pride Festival in 2001. Since 2011, Charlotte Pride’s largest annual event has been held in the heart of Uptown Charlotte and an annual parade was introduced in 2013. Over the past decade, the annual event has grown from approximately 10,000 visitors to 260,000 visitors, becoming the largest LGBTQ celebration of its kind in the Carolinas and the city’s largest annual parade. Charlotte Pride has also grown its year-round programs, supported by its growth from an all-volunteer leadership team to a growing mix of dedicated board members, volunteers, and full-time staff. Charlotte Pride is a proud member of InterPride (The International Association of Pride Organizers) and the U.S. Association of Prides.

Read our in-depth 20th anniversary history…

Our programs

Charlotte Pride’s year-round programs, projects and activities fulfill our mission to enrich, empower, strengthen and make visible the unique lives and experiences of LGBTQ people in Charlotte and the Carolinas. The organization’s programmatic impact areas are Arts & Culture, Community Solidarity, Economic Growth & Upward Mobility, and Visibility & Education. Permanent programs include Charlotte Latine Pride, Charlotte Trans Pride, Charlotte Women’s Pride, Charlotte Pride Interfaith Programs, and Reel Out Charlotte, The Queen City’s Annual LGBTQ Film Festival.

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Mission

Charlotte Pride creates programs and activities to enrich, empower, strengthen, and make visible the unique lives and experiences of LGBTQ people in Charlotte and the Carolinas.

Vision

Charlotte Pride envisions a world in which LGBTQ people are affirmed, respected, and included in the full social and civic life of their local communities, free from fear of any discrimination, rejection, and prejudice.

Values

Dynamic: Charlotte Pride knows that the needs of our LGBTQ community are not stagnant; we work to ensure our programs, projects and activities reflect the ever-changing face of our community.

Collaborative: Charlotte Pride recognizes that change takes partnership — among and between both LGBTQ and non-LGBTQ people and organizations. The greatest progress for the entire LGBTQ community necessitates a social justice-minded focus on issues which affect the lives of those individuals who live at or beyond the margins.

Inclusive: Charlotte Pride values the contributions of all people and mindfully works to include a wide range of life experiences, perspectives and beliefs in all of our programs and activities.

Intentional: Charlotte Pride takes a deliberative and purposeful approach to our programs and activities, seeking to provide a thoughtful, open, and affirming space for community members to engage with our organization and its mission.