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Boise Pride Celebrates 30 Years

Lacey Daley
/
Boise State Public Radio

In 1990, an activist group called Your Family, Friends and Neighbors held a parade — it was more of a march — to help pull homosexuality from the margins of Boise life. About 175 people came to watch to group march from the Idaho Capitol to Julia Davis Park.

Thirty years later, organizers are expecting tens of thousands of people to attend the 2019 edition of Boise Pride, an event that has grown dramatically over the past three decades. There are more performers, the Pride parade is significantly longer and, perhaps most importantly, the event is embraced, supported and sponsored by some of Idaho's largest businesses: banks, grocery store, major retailers and a long list of restaurateurs will be on the scene.

Boise Pride officially begins today at noon, with a Pride flag raised in front of Boise City Hall. The main stage, this year sponsored by Wells Fargo Bank, has a host of high-profile entertainers. Performing Friday evening: Betty Who.

She was born Jessica Newham in Sydney, Australia. Her stage name Betty Who comes from the title of a song she composed when she was 16 about unrequited love. She performs on the main stage Friday night at 9:30.

One of the most-anticipated personalities appearing at Boise Pride is Aquaria. Just last year, she lit up television on RuPaul's "Drag Race." It was season 10 of the program and the finale, where Aquaria was crowned queen, was one of the highest-rated episodes of the Emmy-winning series.

Aquaria appears on the Boise Pride main stage Saturday at 4 p.m.

And then, in terms of main stage performances, there's Jaimie Wilson, who the New York Times calls "A transgender activist with guitar in hand." The Times featured Wilson last year, significantly raising his profile.

More recently, Jaime Wilson has taken to YouTube to answer questions from his fans. Earlier this year the question was posed: How did he know he was transgender?

"It's just self discovery. It's coming to my truth. It's my identity," Wilson answered. "That's something that, please, anyone listening, no matter if you're trans or identify as lesbian or gay or pansexual or non-binary, that's something that is yours. Your identity is yours. Your truth is yours. And that's something you should be happy that no one can take away from you."

Jaimie Wilson appears on the Boise Pride main stage Friday at 8:30 p.m.

Main stage events are free and open to the public. There's a long list of activities and performances through the weekend on the 30th anniversary of Boise Pride.

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