The L Word: Lesbians Make Their Mark on Pride

This is the 23rd year that Carmen Mireles has helped open Denver’s Pride parade. Lesbians on motorcycles have ushered in Pride since 1976, when Dykes on Bikes were placed at the front of San Francisco’s parade.

Mireles, who is not a member of any group, describes her first experiences riding in Denver’s parade as very different.

“When I was 22, there weren’t very many bikes and it was mostly men, actually, trying to fill up the spots.” While Dykes on Bikes originally coordinated the ride, Mireles says it’s “just evolved into the lesbian community. There’s so many different groups of riders; everybody just shows up and we ride together.”

Working together is something lesbians know a lot about. Historically, Pride celebrations have been seen as male dominated. Not anymore. This year we see women everywhere — from headliner Jennifer Holliday to the annual Dyke March that creator Jenn Vaught said has grown from 300 participants eight years ago to an anticipated 1,500 this year.

“The Dyke March was created to break away from the typical PrideFest form, which is viewed or perceived to be very male-centric or geared toward only a handful of people in the community,” said Vaught, a 32-year-old Denver native.

The rally culminates at the main stage of the Civic Center Park on Saturday, June 17. Participants will line up at Blush & Blu, a lesbian-owned bar dubbed Denver’s “lesbian Cheers.”

“This year, we are building the Dyke march in a new light with the support of The Center and PrideFest committee, but as our own event,” Vaught said.

“Women have stepped up. More women have bought bars [and] they are footing the floats.” Mireles said this is in sharp contrast to when she began coming to Denver’s Pride years ago. “Women are pretty much running everything now,” she adds with a giggle. She said she used to keep her kids away from Pride because it was so sexualized. “With women it’s become more family oriented. The way it should be.”

It’s also become more inclusive. Denver is using the same theme as this year’s World Pride: ¡Viva La Vida! – a Spanish saying that loosely translates into living life the way you want.

DJ Tatiana, who is performing at World Pride in Madrid, has worked with Denver Pride for more than ten years. Not only as a PrideFest board member, but as a dance stage manager and performer. “I believe our lesbian and Latin communities have not only grown in size in Colorado, but you can see in events and social gatherings how inclusivity has increased,” she said. Tatiana believes this increase is partly due to “the vast access to social media and LGBTQ specific applications.”

Overall, women are taking on more significant roles. Leading up to Pride, the Anti-Defamation League has tapped a woman to be its keynote speaker. The granddaughter of the founder of the Westboro Baptist Church is speaking about the anti-gay sentiment that church spreads and what can be done to stop it. The Denver Women’s Chorus will perform a tribute to what they call “the fierce and fearless women of country music.” And Carol, an Academy Awards nominated film about a lesbian relationship in the 1950s, will be shown by the Denver Film Society.

More women mean more business. This year at least four parties are catering to lesbians, three in one night. Friday, June 16th will see the largest dance party at Tracks. 1,500 women are expected there. Vaught/Onyx Steele will be performing the same night with comedian Debbie Scheer at Blush & Blu. And DJ Tatiana will be providing some Latin flavor with her performance at Lipstick Nightclub’s party. Saturday, June 17th, Bar Standard is hosting Girl Pride. Both DJ Tatiana and Onyx Steele will be performing at this self-described Art Deco-themed, modern-day speakeasy.

Historically, lesbians close Pride down Sunday night on the rooftop of Club Vinyl. This is where the official Pride Fest after party is held after the parade. DJ Tatiana will also perform here – where all members from the LGBTQ community gather. “I always look forward to Pride because it is a weekend in which most of us put our phones down, interact with each other, and flaunt our pride and good vibes,” Tatiana said.