As you all know, most cities in the U.S. celebrate Gay Pride in June, while Dallas celebrates it in September. The reason typically given for this oddity is that Dallas Pride began in 1983 to commemorate the September 1982 court ruling that found Texas’ anti-sodomy law to be unconstitutional. But William Waybourn, former president of the Dallas Gay and Lesbian Alliance, claims that’s not the real reason. Waybourn told me recently that Dallas Pride was pushed to September because Frank Caven, who owned most of the gay bars in both Dallas and Houston at the time, didn’t want to have to pay for two sets of parade floats. With Houston Pride in June and Dallas Pride in September, Caven could use the same floats in both parades.
“I’m sure people will deny that,” Waybourn said. “There aren’t enough people around who are still living who can tell you what Frank Caven did or didn’t do.â€
Caven died 20 years ago, in 1988.
Waybourn is correct. At the time it was changed everyone knew why. Dallas bars were competing with Houston bars that weekend and Caven wanted to have less competition. It was no secret at that time, even though excuses were., “it’s cooler in September”, “anniversary of the 2106 challenge” , everyone knew the reason, and since lots of folks liked going to Houston to party, most were just fine with the change.
Don’t get me wrong, Frank Caven and his then business partner Charlie Hott did a lot for the community, but they were businessmen and smart ones at that!
My suggestion would be to hold the parade on a Saturday night, that would be cooler and the event would feel more like Mardi Gras!
I was around then and was part of several discussions, including one-on-one with Frank Caven, about moving the parade out of June. I always chuckle when the conspiracy theorists present the “single float theory.†I never saw any balloon and crepe paper covered floats, Frank’s or anyone else’s, zipping up and down I-45.
Did Frank see this as a business opportunity? Yes. You don’t need an MBA to get the economic lesson. The move was about getting more people, both along the parade route and into the parade. Any money saved on floats paled in comparison to the business gained by all the gay-owned clubs, shops and restaurants along Cedar Springs if more people turned out.
And anyone who doesn’t think the heat depressed attendance and was a significant part of the discussion needs a little meteorological history lesson. In the summer of 1980, the year of the third Dallas parade, the city sweltered under a heat wave that recorded 69 days of 100 or more degrees, including 42 consecutive 100+ days from June 23 to August 3. The windshield on my car literally cracked from the heat. 1981 was not much better.
The competition with the Houston parade, also in June, was definitely an issue. Parade entries and spectators from across the state would choose to attend either the Houston or Dallas parade, but seldom both on back-to-back Sundays.
So if not June, which was associated with the Stonewall Riots in New York, when? September looked attractive and could loosely be associated with Judge Buchmeyer’s decision to overturn Texas’ 21.06 sodomy law.
Any time I hear people talk about moving the parade back to June, I encourage them all to go down to the corner of Cedar Springs and Throckmorton at 2pm on the third Sunday in June, stand there in the sun for three or fours hours, then take a vote.
I’m just glad it is in September. (See Robert’s last paragraph.)
I noted in one respnse a reference to Caven’s partner, Charles Hott. By 1988 Charlie had, a few years earlier, “found religion” and was “no longer gay”. He had sold out his interest in the bars to Frank and Charlie retained some property, including the two buildings along 4000 Cedar Springs – I dealt directly with Charlie at the time when I moved my Lobo Book Shop to the smaller building and then later to the back portion of the larger one. I might add that in all my dealings with Charlie he was fair and above board.
This message is for Larry Lingle. I have been trying to locate you for a while in connection with the shutdown of the LOBO bookstore in Dallas. How can I contact you.
A little late, but I can bee reached at linglelobo@aol.com, or on facebook at linglelobo