The statement made connections to the struggle for LGBT rights: “All of us here today have been running all our lives, straining every fiber, racing to stay ahead of institutions and people in the world who seek to enslave the human mind and heart. A statement written by Patricia Neil Warren (author of The Front Runner) was read. Five days after the meeting, Gerben received a call: the Pride Run would be held in Central Park!Īt 9:30am, the runners were called to the starting line. In the meeting, Gerben explained that the run would be open to all people (not just gay people), and that having the run in Central Park was essential for all the out-of-town guests coming in for Pride Weekend. Gerben continued to put pressure on the Parks Department, and was called into a meeting by Parks Commissioner Gordon Davis. Initially, the Parks Department pushed back because they were trying to limit the wear and tear on Central Park, and were pushing people to use parks in the other boroughs. However, they still had to get the Parks department onboard. Working with New York Road Runner Club, the date was set for Gay Pride weekend on Saturday, June 26, 1982. After attending the Gay Pride run in San Francisco in July 1981, FRNY President Steve Gerben was “determined that somehow we were going to put on our own race next year” (p.
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