Nearly 53 years ago, the first Pride march was held in New York City, commemorating the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall uprising. In Traverse City, Up North Pride (UNP) hosted its first Pride march in 2014 and has since grown to offer one of the biggest Pride celebrations in the state.

But UNP no longer puts on their major events in June, aka Pride Month. In part due to the pandemic and in part due to the competition with other major festivals and events during the busy summer season, UNP’s march has taken place in late September for the last two years and will again in 2023. In this week's Northern Express, sister publication of The Ticker, editor Jillian Manning speaks with Up North Pride leaders about what's happening in both June and September this year for Pride in northern Michigan. The group also weighs in on the impacts of anti-LGBTQ+ bills across the U.S., as well as the importance of allies lending their support and solidarity to the LGBTQ+ community.

Read more in this week's Northern Express, available to read online or on newsstands at nearly 700 spots in 14 counties across northern Michigan.