In 1986, there was an LGBTQ community picnic in Duluth’s Lester Park. That year’s pride parade, the first in the Twin Ports, had to start in Superior, Wisconsin because it wasn’t allowed in Duluth. And yet this week, Duluth Superior Pride celebrates its fortieth year with their biggest pride ever. We sat down with Kristy Johnson, co-chair of Duluth Superior Pride to talk about the 28 events they have planned across two cities from September 1 – September 6 (article continues below).Â
Watch Our Conversation
In the 1980s, unlike today, politicians were not clamoring to walk at the front of the Pride parade. In Duluth, the mayor was no different. John Fedo, a Democrat, served as the port city’s mayor from 1979 through 1992.
“[He] was not real thrilled about Pride and having Pride in Minnesota, or in Duluth,” Johnson said. “But we’ve had tons and tons of support since then, once new mayors came in, and we’ve had great support ever since, ever since that mayor has been gone.”
Today, however, Johnson shared that Duluth is a creative and close-knit community and that ethos naturally infuses Pride week.
“Everybody kind of looks out for each other,” she said. “Everybody wants to have a good time, but they’re still making sure everybody’s still safe and okay, and it’s just the Duluth vibe.”
Since the start of the second Trump administration, corporations have caved to pressure from MAGA to walk away from Pride festivals across the country. This has meant pulling sponsorships worth tens of thousands of dollars. The betrayal after years of support has forced some Pride organizers to make tough decisions. Some have chosen to take a year off to give them time to find new sponsors. Others have shut down completely.
But in the Twin Ports, Duluth Superior Pride continues to grow. Major sponsors, such as Essentia Health, alongside small locally owned businesses ,continue to invest. This includes organizations of all sizes offering in-kind contributions which help cover food and beverages.
“We have more sponsors this year than we ever have,” Johnson said. “And every little bit helps, even those smaller donations, we’re extremely grateful.”
6 Days, 28 Events, 2 Cities
On September 1st, events include an intergenerational “speed friending” event at Dovetail Cafe & Marketplace, a partnership with the Arrowhead Area Agency on Aging. The event will foster intergenerational dialogue between LGBTQ elders and younger generations.
“You have to honor the history, and to hear that history from people who lived it is great,” Johnson said. “I mean, that’s the best way to learn because you make those stories personal and you give it a face and you give it this person’s view of what happened.”
That evening there will be a Youth Art Show at the Duluth Public Library. Johnson spoke to how Duluth is an artistic city and that is why there are so many works of LGBTQ art featured during Pride. Midweek, Pizza Lucé will host an art show featuring Justin Kervina, whom Johnson describes as, “a huge proponent of all things queer.”
And inclusion is by design at Duluth Superior Pride. Studio Cafe will serve an under-served part of the LGBTQ community: they will host a tea party for Aro (Aromantic) and Ace (Asexual) attendees.
Forty Years of Resilience
Johnson previously served as co-chair, before stepping away a decade ago. As with Prides across the country, most people double up on roles and learn to do more with less.
“It was kind of a skeleton crew for a little while there,” said Johnson. “But they kept plugging away. And honestly, if it wasn’t for those handful of people, we could have lost it.”
This year, a whole new wave of volunteers arrived as Johnson returned as both co-chair and the vendor coordinator. The committee is also updating its behind-the-scenes processes and moving operational documents onto shared drives – so that institutional knowledge doesn’t leave if a volunteer or board member does. Johnson recalled that for a few years Duluth Superior Pride ran on trust and crossed fingers.
“It was kind of ragtag,” she said, explaining that assignments would be made, but then organizers wouldn’t hear back about progress. “[You] crossed your fingers that it was going to work.”
The Week Ahead
Roughly 160 vendors are expected to participate in this weekend’s festival, another record according to Johnson. The Festival will be from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday at Duluth’s Bayfront Park. The stage will feature entertainment acts all day from drag performances, poetry and band, and DJ sets. Octavia Forté will be the emcee.
Also new this year is the Over the Rainbow Market. This will be a dedicated area created especially for small small businesses, makers, and artisans.
“A lot of times they don’t have the big chunk of money to put down as a main vendor,” Johnson said. “So we created a way for them to [be there].”
The weekend will end with the Pride Parade down Tower Avenue. This year’s grand marshal is Bob Jansen. He is the subject of a new book “Remember the Main: The Gay Bar That Started a Movement in the Northland” by Meg Gorzycki.
Jansen worked for the College of St. Scholastica until they fired him when they learned he was gay. Jansen sued. The two parties ultimately agreed to a legal settlement and Jansen used the money from it to start a local gay bar, The Main.
As Gorzycki writes in the book’s description, The Main “became a hub for LGBTQ social life in the Twin Ports and Iron Range of northern Minnesota. More than just a bar, the Main served as an unofficial center for health information, fundraising, and political activism during a crucial and transformative period of gay history.”
For more information on all of the events happening at Duluth Superior Pride, including event times and locations, visit dspride.org.
