Remembering Dallas LGBTQ+ Legacy Is Fundamental
Take a look back at how Dallas has built the largest Rainbow community in Texas.
Dallas is home to the 6th largest LGBTQ+ populations in the country and the largest in Texas. The Strip on Cedar Springs is the main LGBTQ+ entertainment district in the Oak Lawn neighborhood, so you’ll often hear the area called either Oak Lawn, Cedar Springs, The Crossroads or the “gayborhood” by locals. Just know they’re all referring to the same place. Visitors to the community now enjoy a safe space to have brunch with friends at spots like Roy G’s or Hunky's, dance in clubs and bars such as Round-Up Saloon or Sue Ellen's, and of course, celebrate Dallas Pride every year in June at Fair Park and the newly launched Pride in Dallas each September in the heart of the gayborhood. But anyone who travels to this queer haven should know the hard-fought history that made it possible for the community to prosper.
Just three years after the riots at Stonewall shed light on the discrimination of the LGBTQ+ community, Dallas' own LGBTQ+ citizens gathered in a crowd of about 300 to march through Downtown proudly proclaiming that the community was prepared to fight for equal rights. The 1972 Dallas Pride Parade was nothing elaborate by today's standards but it set up the foundation for more than 50 years of progress in Dallas for the LGBTQ+ community.
![](https://visit-dallas.imgix.net/images/events/dallas-pride/Dallas-Pride-Parade-1972.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=320&s=f7462febb6f8a4cb2b0c20484e1fce89 320w, https://visit-dallas.imgix.net/images/events/dallas-pride/Dallas-Pride-Parade-1972.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=540&s=d767245eb2c4c22b3e405becca24fe19 540w, https://visit-dallas.imgix.net/images/events/dallas-pride/Dallas-Pride-Parade-1972.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=768&s=7d99bc3e9a252da2d4dfbb7a886d718a 768w, https://visit-dallas.imgix.net/images/events/dallas-pride/Dallas-Pride-Parade-1972.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1024&s=fbc89b0afd5390290afe6f2709b95fc6 1024w, https://visit-dallas.imgix.net/images/events/dallas-pride/Dallas-Pride-Parade-1972.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1200&s=51b7a05f4ddc4b4e4376d5df4b5871a3 1200w, https://visit-dallas.imgix.net/images/events/dallas-pride/Dallas-Pride-Parade-1972.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1440&s=1e3394f7061e9fe2b478957a06e29b03 1440w, https://visit-dallas.imgix.net/images/events/dallas-pride/Dallas-Pride-Parade-1972.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1920&s=0fbea8bdb852c954079722acde1dc8f8 1500w)
![](https://visit-dallas.imgix.net/images/events/dallas-pride/Dallas-Pride-Parade-1972-2.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=320&s=75cacd619c2c25d5dcb48036ae499ccc 320w, https://visit-dallas.imgix.net/images/events/dallas-pride/Dallas-Pride-Parade-1972-2.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=540&s=9af4115ffcbefe0ef6477f30c59c974a 540w, https://visit-dallas.imgix.net/images/events/dallas-pride/Dallas-Pride-Parade-1972-2.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=768&s=07e7403bc4bfaf33cb563ef5b813590d 768w, https://visit-dallas.imgix.net/images/events/dallas-pride/Dallas-Pride-Parade-1972-2.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1024&s=53b1b62ff352f40f806a37562bb8843f 1024w, https://visit-dallas.imgix.net/images/events/dallas-pride/Dallas-Pride-Parade-1972-2.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1200&s=fe871dc93919c1e2ee10323f21dd39a4 1200w, https://visit-dallas.imgix.net/images/events/dallas-pride/Dallas-Pride-Parade-1972-2.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1440&s=3642afcb4cde0556b77ab2eea1e5acef 1440w, https://visit-dallas.imgix.net/images/events/dallas-pride/Dallas-Pride-Parade-1972-2.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1920&s=53ea6e7583f08d92f8d343ca3d8c15a1 1500w)
The next Dallas Pride parade didn't happen until 1980 and was successfully pieced together by business owners and community members in Oak Lawn/Cedar Springs. Two years later, the Dallas Tavern Guild was established and took over the organization and production of the parade, which has become a landmark event in Dallas.
From 1983 to 2018, the Parade was held in September to commemorate Judge Jerry Buchmeyer’s ruling in the Baker v. Wade case, a ruling which struck down Texas' sodomy law until it was later overturned. Our current parade gets its name from the former executive director of the Dallas Tavern Guild, Alan Ross, who for many years had the greatest impact on the success of Pride celebrations in Dallas. Since 1991, the parade has been called the Alan Ross Texas Freedom Parade in his honor and in 2019 it was relocated to Fair Park, home of the State Fair of Texas, and moved to June, LGBTQ+ Pride Month.
![Alan Ross at Dallas Pride Parade](https://visit-dallas.imgix.net/images/events/dallas-pride/Alan-Ross.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=320&s=c8b15b52ceaf8b049e120b606eeeeb89 320w, https://visit-dallas.imgix.net/images/events/dallas-pride/Alan-Ross.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=540&s=95222b6a38dce50b6a917eef1a0a196c 540w, https://visit-dallas.imgix.net/images/events/dallas-pride/Alan-Ross.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=768&s=07b357bba972c0e844d7c0f2c21a5f24 768w, https://visit-dallas.imgix.net/images/events/dallas-pride/Alan-Ross.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1024&s=6f927cc6b16dd7a87f71902caf2062c9 948w)
In 2018, Dallas also became the first city in Texas to be officially recognized for its gay and lesbian neighborhood in Oak Lawn. The Texas Historical Commission recognized the history of this neighborhood as being a place of community gathering marking the corner of Cedar Springs Road and Throckmorton Street with a plaque that will stand as a marker for decades to come.
![Historical Marker](https://visit-dallas.imgix.net/images/general/LGBTQ-Historical-Marker.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=320&s=bf3c2a473c01813e1901d4cd924a6868 320w, https://visit-dallas.imgix.net/images/general/LGBTQ-Historical-Marker.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=540&s=2ec2567af618015bfe460b4cf6933afa 540w, https://visit-dallas.imgix.net/images/general/LGBTQ-Historical-Marker.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=768&s=606a6463614be6fe8174e01dd7d7206a 768w, https://visit-dallas.imgix.net/images/general/LGBTQ-Historical-Marker.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1024&s=a1ac35ae5d5dd4947acfb4704fc92e54 1024w, https://visit-dallas.imgix.net/images/general/LGBTQ-Historical-Marker.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1200&s=4b7a727d13d2f26f5292536c9f8f2e9e 1200w, https://visit-dallas.imgix.net/images/general/LGBTQ-Historical-Marker.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1440&s=037ecd6def1caeda2453a6e89eae3f9a 1440w, https://visit-dallas.imgix.net/images/general/LGBTQ-Historical-Marker.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1920&s=3ad65ed97fea604f1b4cb2abd53ef102 1512w)
Today, Dallas celebrates our LGBTQ+ community throughout the year with a varied collection of events and programming. We're home to Black Tie Dinner, the largest annual LGBTQ seated dinner fundraising event in the world. Our performing arts community enjoys the hard work and dedication of the Turtle Creek Chorale, the most-recorded male chorus in the world, and Uptown Players, a theatre company focused on presenting LGBTQ+ stories. And because everything is bigger in Texas, we're even home to the largest predominantly LGBTQ+ church in the world, The Cathedral of Hope. DIFFA Dallas, the largest fundraising event in Texas supporting the fight against HIV/AIDS, and the first Rainbow LULAC chapter also call Dallas home.
The City of Dallas has comprehensive ordinances offering lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender residents protection from discrimination in employment, housing, and other public areas. Dallas has more rainbow crosswalks than any city in America. Dallas was also the first, and is still the only, city in America that has an official PRIDE version of their City flag, which flies over City Hall for the entire month, every June.
![Turtle Creek Chorale](https://visit-dallas.imgix.net/images/events/dallas-pride/DSC_3876.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=320&s=bc900e4978b914e80ed7a471c4dfd9f8 320w, https://visit-dallas.imgix.net/images/events/dallas-pride/DSC_3876.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=540&s=a62d60e7df7e4d1f9ff29337632bd653 540w, https://visit-dallas.imgix.net/images/events/dallas-pride/DSC_3876.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=768&s=19bff9f5f80e82b83aedb097218b3561 768w, https://visit-dallas.imgix.net/images/events/dallas-pride/DSC_3876.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1024&s=ab42d3f77bdcf3b02539825d91e99d55 1024w, https://visit-dallas.imgix.net/images/events/dallas-pride/DSC_3876.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1200&s=9e251f24185022f85318802616e39b00 1200w, https://visit-dallas.imgix.net/images/events/dallas-pride/DSC_3876.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1440&s=f4449ed5e86fc717ff6802d5e345751d 1440w, https://visit-dallas.imgix.net/images/events/dallas-pride/DSC_3876.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1920&s=9c8eecbfcbc822c4ee26caff5042c5f5 1920w, https://visit-dallas.imgix.net/images/events/dallas-pride/DSC_3876.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=2560&s=0dad7f7438358f9cfbfbc46acb60c03b 2560w, https://visit-dallas.imgix.net/images/events/dallas-pride/DSC_3876.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=3840&s=4ab7fe98389e63e9f89b89ee44c01a47 3840w)
In addition to Dallas Pride at Fair Park each June, a new group has launched Pride in Dallas to bring an event back to the gayborhood during September. The city also hosts multiple celebrations throughout the year to highlight specific groups within our larger queer community such as Dallas Southern Pride, an annual celebration for Black LGBTQ+ people, and Texas Latino Pride.
![Texas Latino Pride Fest](https://visit-dallas.imgix.net/images/events/texas-latino-pride-fest/Texas-Latino-Pride-Fest-1.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=320&s=833eae9ed660e2d439ca53f7f5fbb1a6 320w, https://visit-dallas.imgix.net/images/events/texas-latino-pride-fest/Texas-Latino-Pride-Fest-1.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=540&s=843091527b01a03ea525703f9b4cb44e 540w, https://visit-dallas.imgix.net/images/events/texas-latino-pride-fest/Texas-Latino-Pride-Fest-1.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=768&s=44651a21ace34846bcc09e1182977676 768w, https://visit-dallas.imgix.net/images/events/texas-latino-pride-fest/Texas-Latino-Pride-Fest-1.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1024&s=7248502ed77c9a50749592df2f5a80eb 1024w, https://visit-dallas.imgix.net/images/events/texas-latino-pride-fest/Texas-Latino-Pride-Fest-1.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1200&s=a1732b4b98cfb58ded718032010f00cc 1200w, https://visit-dallas.imgix.net/images/events/texas-latino-pride-fest/Texas-Latino-Pride-Fest-1.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1440&s=bb7c09fbef17a7504712ec31c6af3259 1440w, https://visit-dallas.imgix.net/images/events/texas-latino-pride-fest/Texas-Latino-Pride-Fest-1.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1920&s=194bf8ea24fc4faea1ba028c648dfeb8 1920w, https://visit-dallas.imgix.net/images/events/texas-latino-pride-fest/Texas-Latino-Pride-Fest-1.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=2560&s=598cc6fc76fc8e087a0973f5c1df89cd 2560w, https://visit-dallas.imgix.net/images/events/texas-latino-pride-fest/Texas-Latino-Pride-Fest-1.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=3840&s=c7f6d70138144684458546b0cc0bde32 3840w)
Of course, we will continue to work as a city to add to this often hard-fought history and make Dallas a shining example of inclusivity and equality for everyone under the rainbow.