Tucson Pride is shutting down after nearly 50 years serving southern Arizona, its board of directors announced January 21.
Its Facebook announcement did not specify a reason for the closure. But Tucson Pride recently faced significant financial challenges, according to Arizona-based LGBTQ+ newsroom LOOKOUT. That included declining sponsorship and donations, debt from its 2024 Pride festival and a temporary loss of the group’s nonprofit status in 2021.
Tucson Pride’s closure marks an end to the metro’s oldest and largest Pride organization, even as residents statewide still navigate anti-LGBTQ sentiment in daily life and the statehouse.
“This decision was not made lightly,” the announcement said. “We recognize the deep importance Tucson Pride has held in our community.”
The organization also canceled a Pride festival slated for next month, which had been rescheduled from last November due to logistical and funding concerns. All funding for the festival will be returned within 90 days, the announcement said, including vendor fees and event sponsorships.
Tucson Pride did not immediately return The Advocate's email request for comment. But members of Tucson’s LGBTQ+ community told Arizona news station KOLD the closure was a loss to the city. Wolf Gaona, who won Mr. Tucson Pride in 2024, alleged it was the result of mismanagement.
“I think it’s very unfortunate that this is happening. However, I saw it coming,” Gaona said. “They were telling me to my face, ‘Hey, we’re going to release this stuff. We’re going to show you our financials.’ They lied to my face.”
Local activist Colette Barajas had celebrated Pride in Tucson since the festival’s creation. She told the news station that the event was invaluable to the area’s LGBTQ+ community.
“It was a sense of expression,” Barajas said. “It was playful, colorful — the music, the energy. It was just indescribable.”
Tucson Pride was established in 1977 after the murder of Richard Heakin, a 21-year-old gay man killed outside a gay bar in Tucson, according to the Arizona Daily Star. The festival had been held annually since then, with gaps in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite the organization’s shutdown, several LGBTQ+ affinity groups still operate in Tucson. They include Southern Arizona Senior Pride, Eon Youth Lounge, the Southern Arizona Gender Alliance and the Tucson Interfaith HIV/AIDS Network, among others.
Connor Storrie as Ilya Rozanov and Hudson Williams as Shane Hollander on Heated Rivalry.HBO Max/Crave Canada
