Tucson Gay Pride Guide June 2019

Tony Ray Baker
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Tucson Gay Pride Guide June 2019

It’s finally here! I feel like a kid on Christmas! It’s Gay Pride Month. Just because our Tucson Gay Pride isn’t until September doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate with the rest of the world. Keep reading to learn when and where to go this month in your Tucson Gay Pride Guide 2019!

Bisbee gay pride
Be Sure to Celebrate Bisbee Gay Pride Later This Month, June 2019

Where to Go to Celebrate Gay Pride in Tucson

There is another party every weekend in Tucson, and you’re invited! What follows is a comprehensive list of everything we could find, updated as soon as we find something new! Do you know about a great event that isn’t on this list? Do not hesitate to use the contact form to the right (below for mobile users) and let us know about it!

June

01jun6:00 pm8:00 pmLGBTQ Amigos and Allies Reception

01jun6:00 pm10:00 pmTucson Pride Tour 2019 - A Night at the Movies

11jun9:00 am3:30 pmPoint of Pride: LGBTQ Business Summit

14junAll DayBisbee Pride Weekend 2019

14jun6:30 pm10:00 pmOne Night Only - LGBTQ Pride Party

15junAll DayBisbee Pride Weekend 2019

15jun6:00 pm9:00 pmTreasures for TIHAN 2019 - Sparkle and Silver Benefit Auction

16junAll DayBisbee Pride Weekend 2019

20jun7:30 am9:00 amTucson GLBT Chamber of Commerce Monthly Networking Breakfast - June 2019

29jun4:00 pm6:00 pm3rd Annual PRIDE Bowl benefiting SAGA

Why Does the Rest of the World Celebrate Gay Pride in June?

Like most things Gay History in this country, it all started with Stonewall. Read all about it in our Brief History of Gay Pride in the US. It’s a fascinating look at where we’ve been with a nod towards where we are going.

Gay Pride in the Park 2017 in Tucson, AZ.
Gay Pride in the Park 2017 in Tucson, AZ.

What Can You Tell Me About Tucson Gay Pride?

It’s coming soon and, like anything worthwhile, it’ll be here before you know it. As far as the details you crave, I don’t have much. From years past, I expect to start learning about the when and where of Tucson Gay Pride within the next month or so. As always, you’ll find out as soon as I do! Till then, keep it tuned to GayTucson and better prepare yourself for what to expect by reading our page Tucson Gay Pride throughout the years.

Have a great day!
Tony Ray 🙂

G3 – Tucson’s Gay Happy Hour

Tony Ray Baker
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G3 – Tucson’s Gay Happy Hour

G3 Tucson Gay and Lesbian Happy Hour
G3 Tucson Gay and Lesbian Happy Hour

G3 Tucson

G3 is Tucson’s premier social event planning group for Tucson’s gay community and their friends. They host a gay happy hour that takes place minimum every month usually lasting from 5:30 to 8:30PM at a different pop-up locations around town. G3 often features great DJ’s and drink specials to keep the night going!

Looking to wrap up the work week with a few friends and some fun? G3 is a great way to hang out with friends and meet new people in a comfortable, welcoming atmosphere.

G3 seeks out unique Tucson locations to host their monthly get-together. From exciting downtown nightclubs to newly-minted restaurants, G3 offers a new experience with each event! The organizing staff also spares no expense with the decor and ambiance to truly pull you into the event. With awesome drink specials and food options and a popular DJ spinning the tunes, every G3 is a better party than the last!

G3 Gay Happy hour is an inclusive event for the entire Tucson population, but it caters to the gay guy community providing diverse entertainment options. You are welcome regardless of gender, identity or sexual orientation! Gay, Lesbian, Straight, Trans but the only thing is this group is strictly 21 and over because the events always include alcohol.

As the location changes with each month, be sure to check our blog for updates on the next great G3 Happy Hour event and other events like pool parties. We always post G3’s events on our blog and have been for a long time. GayTucson.com has noticed that the events seem to keep getting better and better and more and more extravagant as time goes on. The community is growing!

You must go see for yourself. If you type in G3 into our search bar you can look at the posts about their past events or Find out more about G3 Tucson here.

Bisbee Gay Pride

Tony Ray Baker
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Bisbee Gay Pride
Bisbee gay pride
Be Sure to Celebrate Bisbee Gay Pride Later This Month, June

Every year on Father’s Day weekend, the Arizona LGBT community and Straight Allies gather in the adorable little town of Bisbee to celebrate their pride. Come along with me on one such adventure, and be sure to catch the next incarnation of Bisbee Gay Pride!

When and Where is Bisbee Gay Pride?

Get to Bisbee by driving South on I-10 and taking a right on Highway 80 in Benson. From Tucson, it’s a little over 1.5 hours, 47 if you’re coming from Benson. Gay Pride Weekend corresponds with Father’s Day Weekend, occurring on the third weekend in June. It may seem like a long way to go, but a bunch of your friends from Tucson will be there and it really is one of the better parties of the year!

What Can I Expect at Bisbee Gay Pride?

There are so many things to do and ways to celebrate in Bisbee and the surrounding area, but what follows is my tried-and-true method for having a great time at Bisbee Gay Pride.  We call this The Move.

The Move starts at a quaint little bed and breakfast on Friday night. Try the Copper Queen Hotel or the Bisbee Grand, you’ll love either place.  I highly recommend locating yourself around the Main St. part of town. That is where all the action is and you don’t want to have to drive back to your hotel room after a full night of partying.  The drunken stumble back to your bed is a quintessential part of The Move.

What’s Next For The Move?

The Move is to then walk the crowded, action-packed streets, observing the myriad booths and vendors set up for the weekend.  The streets fill up on both Friday and Saturday with live music, so be sure to get your groove on!  The town blocks off the roads from car access around the Copper Queen, so begin there and meet up with all of your friends.

The next Move is to head across the street to the Underground Dance Party.  I would tell you where to go, but it’s better for you to just head down and discover for yourself.  Dance to some high-energy dance music and have a few cocktails, powering you up for what’s next!

The Move then takes you on a club crawl, guided by a drag queen carrying a high heel on a stick.  You’ll be heading from bar to bar, effectively getting a crash course in Downtown Bisbee.  As you reach the end of the pubs, the MC will organize the flock into a Drag Race.

No, not the type you’re thinking of, this race consists of your drunken friends, wearing dresses and high heels, and running up a small hill.  Cue the ankle tape and the ice packs!  It’s a hilarious time for all involved and will truly punctuate your time at Bisbee Gay Pride.

See You Next Year!

Still not convinced? Bisbee Gay Pride is an awesome time with your best friends in a wonderful little town. There are some fun activities that I have never seen anywhere else, making Bisbee Gay Pride a one-of-a-kind event.  It’s just a short drive South to have an amazing weekend and you’ll even see Darren and I on the club crawl.  See you next year!

Have a great day,
TonyRay 🙂

Gay Pride 2016 Review

Tony Ray Baker
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Gay Pride 2016 Review

Now that we’ve had a few days to recover, I wanted to take some time and recap the incredible 2016 Gay Pride Weekend!  First of all, thanks needs to go out to the Tucson Pride Planning Board for serving up a fantastic slate of fun and meaningful events for this years celebration.  Let’s set them up for next year by donating today! Be sure to head back here after you’re done 🙂  Fun Photos below.

Now that we have the business out of the way, we can get to the fun! Lets start at the top:

Pride Friday Night

We have long held the Tucson Gay Pride Parade on the Friday before Tucson Pride, but that and a possible Block Party was the extent of the festivities for the night.  This year was completely flipped on its head!  Not only did we have the Tucson staple, Pride on Parade, but we were also treated to a host of events geared around the Gay Pride theme.  The night went like this:

G3Pride Party During Tucson's Gay Pride Weekend
G3Pride Party During Tucson’s Gay Pride Weekend

G3Pride

Between the hours of 5 – 7, the Hut hosted Pete Kings infamous G3Pride Party!  With great drink specials, pulse-pounding music and delicious dinner options, it was a fantastic way to start Pride Friday Night!

Pride On Parade

The Hut was also the perfect spot to enjoy a cocktail and cheer on the Tucson Pride on Parade as it proceeded down 4th Avenue.  With more floats and participants than ever, this year’s parade was truly a celebration of our amazing spirit and diversity.  I didn’t get any photos, but send us your pics today and I’ll post them on this page!

Rainbow Block Party

After the Parade, everyone headed over to RBAR for the Rainbow Block Party.  If you’ve never been to RBAR, it’s a decadent little hole in the wall next to the Rialto Theatre with some of the best drinks in Tucson.  The Rainbow Block Party featured a killer DJ spinning some great dance tunes, perfect for setting the stage for what came next.

pride at the rialto rupauls drag racePride at the Rialto

The entire night built up to this moment, and Pride at the Rialto surely didn’t disappoint. Meticulously planned and flawlessly executed, Pride at the Rialto had something for everyone.  We were entertained by the stars of Ru Paul’s Drag Race, as hilarious as they were gorgeous, who came all the way from Hollywood to share their own unique brand of Pride.  The drinks were delightful, the food was delicious, and the show was divine; a wonderful capstone for a wonderful night!

Pride in the Park

With the stage set, it was time for Tucson’s Gay Pride flagship, Pride in the Park, to step into the spotlight.  It was better than I had even expected!

I’d like to begin with a shout out to our amazing community!  We were fun and rowdy but always respectful and everyone, every single person that I’ve spoken with had an excellent time.  How many events can you say that about?

A Huge Crowd In Front of the Gay Pride Stage at Pride in the Park
A Huge Crowd In Front of the Gay Pride Stage at Pride in the Park

And did I mention the size of the crowd?  By the time I was there, they had already admitted over 4,000 Tucsonans and the line was growing by the second.  This was the most well-frequented Tucson Gay Pride I have been to in many years and I love Tucson for being so supportive and kind.

The event itself was a marvel of crowd and performer synergy as it seemed every act built upon the previous and the entire presentation wove a tapestry of precious moments that I will never forget.  Everyone, from the excellent DJ’s to the talented singers and presenters was in top form and the crowd repeatedly roared its approval.

Me and Tempest DuJour Loving Tucson Pride in the Park 2016
Me and Tempest DuJour Loving Tucson Pride in the Park 2016

Now, I might be a little biased, but the pinnacle of the event, atleast for me, had to be Tempest DuJour.  Tempest is a world renowned performer whom hails from Tucson, so the event had to be extra special.  We were given a small sample of his many talents and he left the audience starving for more.  Be sure to get your Tempest DuJour fix by checking out Retro Game Night!

The Wrap-Up

If you didn’t have a chance to join us for Tucson Pride this year, you owe yourself to mark it on your calendar and come out next year.  This was the largest and most well-planned Tucson Pride event I have been to in a long time, and I used to plan them back in the day 😉 The Tucson Pride Board of Directors has set a high bar for themselves and I am excited to see what they have in store for us next year!  Thanks for reading!
Tony Ray

Photos from 2016 Pride in The Park

  • A Huge Crowd In Front of the Gay Pride Stage at Pride in the Park
  • Crowd Enjoying the Show at Tucson Gay Pride 2016
  • Live Out Loud at Tucson Pride in the Park 2016
  • The Democrats are Out at Tucson Pride 2016
  • The Democrats are Out at Tucson Pride 2016
  • Staying Long into the Evening at Tucson Gay Pride 2016
  • Gotta Stay Hydrated at Tucson Pride 2016
  • A Beautiful Day in the Sun at Tucson Gay Pride 2016
  • Tucson LGBT Groups
  • Me and Tempest DuJour Loving Tucson Pride in the Park 2016

SAAF Jello Wrestling

Tony Ray Baker
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SAAF Jello Wrestling
SAAF Jello Wrestling has grown to become one of Tucson’s most anticipated yearly events!  From the glamorous costumes to the hilarious personas, you’re going to love the pageantry and air of theatre that pervades the entire event. However, once the competitors are in the green ooze, then you truly see the captivating spectacle for what it is.  It’s friends and lovers, in the spirit of teamwork and competition, locked in intense combat.  It’s that raw, animalistic spirit that animates the entire event and makes SAAF’s Jello Wrestling such a wonderful thing to do in Tucson!

How Jello Wrestling Came to Tucson

This is the tale of Reno Gannon. In 1987, while tending bar at a local watering hole entitled “Rumor Hazzitt”, he went on vacation to Mexico and came back with a fantastic fundraising event. Wrestling in vats of Jell-O! Together with the owner of Rumor Hazzitt, they pulled together the first such event!  It was a fundraiser for Shanti, an early AIDS Service Organization that merged with other local agencies to form Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation. The tale of Reno has a tragic end, however, as this wonderful, loving man was cut down at the precocious age of 23 by the scourge of AIDS.  To this day, the Jello Wrestling event remains a memorial to his legacy.

What Happens at SAAF Jello Wrestling?

SAAF Jello Wrestling is a team sport.  Each team of wrestlers raises funds to wrestle during a pit of Jell-O, typically with extraordinary costumes and characters. Between wrestling matches, the Drag Diva Hostesses will run a live auction that includes a wide range of fantastic items to titillate the crowd. Funds raised through Jell-O Wrestling assist SAAF with their awesome mission of cultivating a healthy & stigma-free society through transformative action.

How Can I Help?

Wrestling in the SAAF Jello Wrestling event is an awesome way to support the programs and services of the Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation (SAAF). All wrestlers should raise a minimum of $500 in sponsorships. With the addition of online giving through the SAAF website, raising sponsorships can be done with an email!  Find Out More Here:
Wrestle/Sponsor a Wrestler
Not the wrestling type?  Don’t worry, there are tons of volunteer opportunities at SAAF Jello Wrestling! Visit this page to choose what you’d like to do and when!
Volunteer
Have a great day, Tony Ray 🙂

Tucson Gay Pride

Tony Ray Baker
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Tucson Gay Pride

Tucson Pride 2024: Celebrating Diversity and Community

Get ready for the biggest LGBTQIA+ celebration in Southern Arizona! Tucson Pride 2024 brings together the vibrant LGBTQ+ community and allies for two days of unity, joy, and empowerment. From the colorful Pride Parade to the lively Pride Festival, this year’s event promises to be a celebration like no other. Join us in embracing diversity, advocating for equality, and creating lasting memories!

Pride Parade
Pride Festival

Tucson Pride Week Featured Events

G3 Pride Kickoff Party 2024

Start Pride Weekend off right at the G3 Pride Kickoff Party on the SkyDeck at Playground! Join the party under the stars with great music, drinks, and dancing, all while celebrating the start of Tucson Pride Week. Your first drink is on us—don’t miss out on the fun!

Get all the details and RSVP now

Tucson Pride Parade 2024

Join Tucson’s LGBTQ+ community as the streets light up with vibrant colors and celebration during the Tucson Pride Parade! March alongside friends, family, and allies in this exciting kickoff to Pride Weekend. Don’t miss the electric atmosphere at Armory Park.

Learn more and register for the parade

Tucson Pride Festival 2024

Get ready for a full day of music, food, and fun at the Tucson Pride Festival! Held at Reid Park, this annual festival features live performances and activities for all ages. Whether you’re looking to dance, shop, or enjoy family-friendly entertainment, this event has something for everyone!

Discover the festival lineup and get your tickets

2024 Grand Marshal: Jess Losoya

Tucson Pride is proud to announce Jess Losoya as the Grand Marshal for the 2024 Parade! Jess is a longtime advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, known for his resilience and leadership in supporting marginalized individuals. His work with the Amity Foundation and various non-profits like the Tucson Interfaith HIV/AIDS Network (TIHAN) has made a lasting impact on the community. Jess’s personal journey through foster care, addiction, and recovery has shaped his passion for helping others. As Grand Marshal, he represents the strength, perseverance, and compassion of the LGBTQIA+ community in Tucson.

Past Tucson Gay Pride Events and Photo Galleries

Show Us Your Awesome Talent at the 2022 Tucson Gay Pride in October!

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Tucson Pride 2019 Photos

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Gay Pride Celebrations

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Tucson Gay Pride Guide June 2019

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It's finally here! I feel like a kid on Christmas! It's Gay Pride Month. Just because our Tucson Gay Pride isn't until September doesn't...

Johnathan Celestin Performs Live at Tucson Pride 2018

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Tucson Gay Pride Origin Story

Tucson Gay Pride

From its humble beginnings atop the soaked summit in Himmel Park, Gay Pride in Arizona has gone through enough "wardrobe changes" to make Lady Gaga sweat!  Fast forward to today and Tucson Gay Pride is one of the largest annual events to hit Southern Arizona, featuring a huge cast of entertainers, local celebrities, and all-around great people.

Back To The Future

Himmel Park - The Site of Tucson 1st Gay Pride

On a robust weekend morning some 40 years ago, I find myself trying something brand new. Staring down the water-soaked grass of the largest hill in Himmel Park, I gathered with Tucson's burgeoning LGBTQ community and constructed a Slip-n-Slide. It was no ordinary Slip-n-Slide, however, it was the biggest and wettest and probably the most dangerous construction ever attempted.

Careening down the hill at close to the speed of sound, you have no control and no hope of slowing yourself, let alone stopping. Waiting for you perilously at the bottom of the hill was a vat of thick, primordial mud. This mud promised to swallow any would-be adventurer whole and spit them out, covered in grime and exhilaration.

Terrifying stuff, huh? To this day, I can remember looking down at all this and thinking, "am I out of my mind"? So I hesitate. Old friends go flying out of view. Still I hesitate. Cute guy disappears into the pond of mud. Yet, I hesitate.

In retrospect, I don't know what took me so long. Bathing suit? Check! All belongings safely stowed away? Check! What was I waiting for? So I closed my eyes and made a promise to myself; "jump on three".

"One. Wow it's cold out here! Maybe I should wait a bit for the sun to break through the clouds...", I think.

"Two. That mud can't be sanitary. Is that my car alarm? (note: this is before car alarms)".

"Three" I throw myself off the peak without even thinking. Almost immediately, I start to pick up speed as the mud pit barrels towards me. I put my hands down as an emergency break but they only knock me off balance, so now I am sliding face-first into the abyss...

Sploosh! That's all I remember. Lots of light, then a loud "sploosh", then darkness and silence. Proudly, I raise my head, wipe the dirt from my eyes, and emerge from the pit victorious. Everyone is screaming and clapping and hollering their approval, and I find myself jumping and dancing to the joyous symphony.

It's About Time

IBTs Gay Lesbien drag queenDance Club Tucson

It was basically a party without the party. A time for friends and lovers to come together to enjoy eachothers company. But I was a hot-blooded 20-something, lets get this party started! Enter Fred and Dave, the former owners from IBT's...

We could see them in the distance. A large, boxy truck with faded paint came ambling up the road. As the truck approaches, you can here the unmistakable cadence of dance music. Boom. Tink. Boom. Tink. My heart starts to beat to the rhythm. Boom. Ba-Boom. Boom. Ba-Boom.

The truck danced ever closer, until it's full majesty came into view. It's a tricked-out beer truck from IBT's filled to the brim with kegs of mouth-watering bear and speakers of brow-watering dance music. All I could think was, "It's About Time!"

Embrace Your History

From those halcyon days of yore, Tucson Gay Pride has become the annual behemoth that it is. Yearly, people from far-flung places convene in sleepy little Tucson to throw the best party of the year! Starting Friday night and proceeding all the way through Saturday, the hosts of Tucson Gay Pride have planned a mind-boggling number of special events and fun things to do for everyone! Not solely for the members of my amazing Tucson LGBTQ family, Tucson Gay Pride is a celebration of the differences and the diversity that make our community truly special. I can't wait to see you at this year's Tucson Gay Pride as we add another chapter to our illustrious history!

PS.  Some of this story may be a little exaggerated, or not.  Who can really remember?  LOL

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