The history of gay pride events in Tucson began after the 1976 murder of Richard Heakin.[1] Heakin, who lived in Nebraska, visited a friend in Tucson and was beaten to death by four teenagers while exiting a bar named Stonewall Tavern.[3] The attackers were subsequently tried as juveniles, and sentenced to probation.[2] At the time, hate crimes were often not punished at all.[3] Heakin's murder became a motivation behind the foundation of Tucson Pride.[1]
The first Tucson pride event, organized by an organization named Tucson Gay Coalition, was named the Gay Pride Festival & Memorial Picnic.[4] It was held at Himmel Park on June 26, 1977, also the National Gay Pride Day that year.[5]
In 1982, the Tucson Gay Pride Festival was cancelled amidst a statewide call to fight against LGBT discrimination and oppression, and the event was turned into a civil rights march from Tucson to Phoenix.[5]
Since 1994, pride in Tucson is held in October.[2]
In 2018, the parade, which was traditionally scheduled to take place on a Friday evening before the festival, was rescheduled to daytime hours, due to concerns within the LGBTQ+ community that holding a parade during the evening hours sends a bad message, as if the community is hiding in the shadows.[6] In 2019, more than 5,000 people attended the event.[4][7]
Over the years, Pride in the Desert has become a more family-centric theme.[2]
Pride in the Desert became a virtual event for 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The event took place on October 24.[8] The event returned in-person in 2022, which was also the event's 45th anniversary.[4][7][9]
