Deacon Maccubbin, John Wilson, and Frank Kameny stand at the stage to read the D.C. City Council's proclamation recognizing June 22, 1975 as Gay Pride Day. (Source: Rainbow History Project)

Deacon Maccubbin, John Wilson, and Frank Kameny stand at the stage to read the D.C. City Council's proclamation recognizing June 22, 1975 as Gay Pride Day. (Source: Rainbow History Project)

"Giving People the Courage to Be Themselves": Gay Pride Day in D.C.

Gay rights activist Larry “Deacon” Maccubbin was at a party with friends in 1975 when the topic of New York Pride eventually came up. As they were discussing who would be going, one of his friends asked why their own city, Washington, D.C., didn’t have a similar event ─ it was the nation’s capital, after all. The idea stuck in Maccubin’s head.

Last Updated: February 19, 2025