MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) -On a chilly morning in Madison, Meg Gaines spoke to thousands of people on May 6, 1989.
Our WMTV news cameras capturing history as the Gay and Lesbian Visibility Alliance (GALVAnize) held the first major march for gay rights.
“The purpose of today’s event is to have a massive, visible coming out of gay and lesbians and bisexuals and their supporters to show Madison that we are here and that we are a major force in this community,” said March co-emcee Gaines.
Gaines went on to become a fifth generation lawyer and professor at UW-Madison.
Thirty-five years later, Gaines who still resides in Madison, now reacting to the early film.
1989 Pride March and Rally in Madison(WMTV 15)
“I think what struck me was how it was kind of hopeful because something that is just about justice and is about truth and is about kindness eventually does win,” Gaines started. “I think love does win you know and I think that’s what struck me was the clarity and simplicity of the ask.”
All those years ago, Gaines first moved to Madison for law school ostensibly, but soon found a welcoming community.
“I stayed in Madison in no small part because of the relatively hospitable environment,” Gaines explained. “There just weren’t very many places in the United States as a lesbian that you felt like you could put your children in public school and that they’d be okay.”
In 2024 Madison Pride takes shape at the annual Magic Pride Festival organized and hosted by OutReach LGBTQ+ Community Center.
“We have pride all year long so why not have a pride event in august,” exclaimed Mack McKellips, operations and event coordinator with the nonprofit. “Given the amount of anti-LGBTQ political attacks on the community, it makes me very hopeful to see Madison’s LGBTQ community coming together for events like Pride.”
Since 2019, the event brings thousands of people together and provides free LGBTQ+ resources. There will be 160+ vendors at Warner Park for the festival Aug. 18 from 1:00-6p.m.
“It’s so important to show the community that there are people that are willing to fight for each other and pride is all about joy but it started with resistance,” McKellips added.
Bringing a renewed call for visibility, with a city proud of its progress.
“We’re here you know, you’re not alone,” McKellips invited.
“The first person you meet who dares to be out and open about that is a tremendous building block,” Gaines said. “For daring to become who you are and there’s not substitute for that and visibility is what that’s about.”
In June, on 15 News+ we aired a special edition of the streaming show dedicated entirely to pride. In searching through the WMTV 15 News archives, we discovered footage from the first GALVAnize Rally in May, 1989.
One voice rang high above the rest.
“The purpose of today’s event is to have a massive, visible coming out of gay and lesbians and bisexuals and their supporters to show Madison that we are here and that we are a major force in this community and that we bring a great deal of enthusiasm and energy and pride to this community. And we expect from the community that same enthusiasm and pride for us.”
After an extensive search for the woman, it was a post in a Facebook group that helped put a name to the face. “Like 3 people within 15 minutes of posting that reached out to me and said ‘hey this is you,’” laughed Meg Gaines, then co-emcee of the 1998 GALVAnize Rally.
OutReach LGBTQ+ Community Center assists anyone within the LGBTQ+ community Monday through Friday from 12p.m.-6p.m. They are located at 2701 International Ln #101.
Donations are encouraged at the 2024 Magic Pride Festival to enable the nonprofit to continue the work they do within the community.
The festival is slated for Sunday, Aug. 18 from Warner Park in Madison.
OutReach also partners with River Food Pantry to help keep their shelves stocked for visitors no questions asked. “We make it that way on purpose because for a lot of LGBTQ+ people having to provide an I.D. to access food is something that’s fraught with a lot of difficulty,” McKellips said.
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