Gay Pride Marchers Cheer Rights Progress

With a cry of “Queers, ho!” and a steady drum beat from a troupe of woman percussionists, the eighth annual Pride March made its way to downtown Spokane on Sunday afternoon.

At least 500 marchers - gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transgendered people, their families and friends - walked from the Spokane Civic Theater, down Washington, to Riverfront Park.

Organizers called this year’s event less a march than a celebration of civil rights. Spokane voters last fall defeated a ballot measure that would have removed sexual orientation from the list of categories protected from discrimination.

“With the win on `No on Discrimination,’ we decided to dress in festive colors,” said Jon Carollo, an Inland Northwest Pride board member. “Instead of marching for visibility, we’re marching to have a good time.”

Some marchers wore everyday jeans and T-shirts. Some donned gold-and-purple plastic beads. A few wore bikini tops and grass skirts. And a handful wore heavy makeup, ultra miniskirts and 5-inch spike heels.

“Some people are wearing weird things,” whispered one little girl to her mother.

While marchers came for many reasons, most shared one: to show support for Spokane’s gay and lesbian community.

“I have a lesbian daughter, and she’s just a wonderful person,” said Carol Balasa of Seattle, who wore a T-shirt declaring: “We love our kids just the way they are.”

“I work hard to dispel inaccuracies about gays and lesbians,” Balasa said. “I work hard for her to have the same rights other children do.”

The Rev. Ron Greene, a Spokane minister in the Christian Church, Disciples of Christ, said his faith “says God loves all people, especially those who might get pushed to the outside.”

Liz Moore, who has marched every year for the past five, considers the event the “funnest day of the year.”

“It’s such a wonderful thing for everyone to come out and celebrate who they are,” Moore said.

Traci Obercht said the Pride March offered her the rare opportunity in Spokane to be openly affectionate toward her partner.

“It’s controlled. It’s safe,” she said, adding that while they could be openly demonstrative in Seattle or Los Angeles, they couldn’t here. “I’d like to think we could. But we can’t.”

Her partner, a woman from Moses Lake who asked to remain anonymous, echoed Obercht’s comments. “It’s OK to watch a man and woman be affectionate. Why isn’t it OK for us?”