DTPHX Spotlight: Mike Fornelli, Executive Director of Phoenix Pride, Envisions A More Accepting World For All
“If we have a space where people feel accepted and safe, where they can look around and realize that they are wanted, that is incredible,” says Mike Fornelli, the executive director of Phoenix Pride. “My favorite stories are every year, it is someone’s first time at Pride and how that changes their perceptions in such a positive way.”
Phoenix Pride is now celebrating its 45th anniversary. Founded in 1981 as a march on the Arizona Capitol for gay rights, the non-profit organization has since grown from a protest march to a full festival and parade. The LGBTQ+ and allied community has also expanded in that time, and Phoenix Pride’s goal is to promote unity, visibility, and self-esteem for queer people, as well as provide services and build positive community.
This year, the Phoenix Pride festival location and parade route will be new. For the past twenty-three years, since 2003, Pride was held in Steele Indian School Park. This year, Downtown Phoenix Inc. was instrumental in introducing Phoenix Pride to Downtown and the Arizona Center, where it will be held, kicking off on Oct. 10, with a pre-Pride concert featuring Madison Rose. The parade steps off at 10 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 11, at Third and Portland streets, with the festival following at Arizona Center headlined by Jordy.
Fornelli says, “History as we’ve learned tends to repeat itself. I think we are back in that situation where visibility for the queer community is extremely important. Not so much the glitz and glam, but just showing up as this is who we are, this is why we are who we are, and we are here to stay.”
Fornelli’s passion for helping to build a diverse community, where people can exist as their authentic selves, comes from his own unique personal experiences. Fornelli grew up in Erie, Pennsylvania, in a Roman Catholic family. He attended Catholic grade school, as well as an all- boys Catholic boarding high school.
Fornelli shares, “At that point in time, things started happening in my head that made me feel like I wasn’t like everyone else around me. I felt like I was different, and I had to move away to become myself and not bring that upon my family, or friends. I’ve realized over many years working with Pride that there are so many people who are dealing with the same things I had in my head as a young person.”
He shares, “I graduated college in 1986, and the mindset back then was you didn’t talk about being gay, you had to hide. So moving to Arizona, was me trying to break away from that. Once I got out here, I started working in a gay bar, then I ended up buying that gay bar. I ran the bar for thirty-five years, and have been involved with Phoenix Pride since 2012, first as a volunteer, then as pageant director, then community stage director, then joining the board in 2017. In 2018, I stepped off the board and became the interim Executive Director. The board asked if I would stay on, and here we are eight years later.”
Fornelli explains this year, the organization also had the help of Vice Mayor Kesha Hodge Washington’s office, because the Pride parade route is now in her district. “They have been so helpful in terms of moving the parade route, and welcoming us into Downtown Phoenix. I think the impact will be great, especially for all of Downtown’s businesses. It will change the whole vibe, and be a new experience for everyone.”
While ultimately positive, these changes have been the necessary response to growing political persecution of the queer community. Fornelli says, “With this new administration, so many things have changed. People can’t afford things. Sponsors are scared to support LGBTQ+ organizations, because they are afraid of backlash.”
Fornelli explains, “Allies are allies for a reason, because they don’t care about labeling people. That’s how the entire world should be, but unfortunately it’s not. With this administration, there have been so many corporations and businesses that have cut back on LGBTQ+ support. Not necessarily because they don’t want to, but because they are afraid to. But we are still seeing the allied groups that have their own budgets, and they still want to support. That participation is still happening.”
Indeed, stigma and the rollback of human rights for the queer community should be troubling to all people, no matter how they identify. A recent study by ASU’s Empowerment Lab drawing on more than 121,000 participants found strong evidence that anti-trans legislation, and structural stigma directly links to the physical and mental health of queer people, as well as creating hostile environments.
In Arizona, according to the Movement Advancement Project, around 317,000 adults identify as LGBTQ+. "According to Gallup, bisexual adults make up about 5.3% of the U.S. population and are the largest group within the LGBTQ+ community. Pew Research Center has found they are also less likely to be 'out' than gay and lesbian adults."
To address some of these issues as well as a broader spectrum of queer identities and needs, Fornelli says, “This year, we did a lot of community surveys. The input we’ve gotten from our community was that people can’t afford festival tickets. So we are doing a hybrid event this year with free options, and different tiers. Going grassroots was also a big request.”
Fornelli continues, “Back in 1981 when Phoenix Pride first started, it was a lesbian and gay pride organization, so only two letters were represented. Over the past forty-five years, that has expanded and rightly so. The visibility of different segments of our community is very important and needs to be represented. Over the past few years, I think there has been a bit of division within our community. Certain people feeling not as represented as other people. This is the time that everyone needs to come together.”
To those goals, Phoenix Pride will be doing multiple satellite events to help represent different groups of queer people, from trans focused spaces, to a collaboration with the Phoenix leather community. Fornelli hopes this will unite everyone on the queer spectrum, as well as allies, so that “we can all ignite together.”
Fornelli says his philosophy in life is “to treat people like you want to be treated,” and that his words of wisdom for his younger self, and anyone interested in exploring their own queer identity are, “You absolutely can and should be yourself. It may be harder than it seems, but try to let positive things come into your life.”
“Phoenix Pride is always here, but there are also so many open and accepting organizations, businesses, people, and safe spaces for queer community in Phoenix. Explore them. If you’re afraid to do it by yourself, find someone who is willing to explore with you. You shouldn’t have to feel fear, but more a sense of adventure.”
Phoenix Pride weekend begins Saturday, October 10, with the Pre-Pride Coming Out Concert, then continues Sunday, October 11, with the parade at 10 a.m. stepping off at Third and Portland streets and the 45th anniversary festival from noon to 10 p.m. at Arizona Center. Tickets range from free to $75 for a weekend pass and are available at phoenixpride.org/pride26.
Royal Young (@theroyalyoung on Instagram) is a non-binary poet and author from downtown New York City, who now lives and creates in the desert. Their work has appeared in Interview Magazine, New York Times, The Rumpus, Phoenix Magazine, Phoenix New Times, LOOKOUT, and DTPHX, among others.