About us

Founded back in 1987, The NC Pride Band was formed as a lesbian drum corps using traditional Latin and African hand drums. In 1996, the band took a new direction and formed as a standard marching band with brass and woodwind instruments, marching percussion and is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization based in Durham, NC.

The band or members of the band, have performed in the 1997 Presidential Inauguration, the Amsterdam Gay Games, Stonewall 25th Anniversary, the Millennium March on Washington, many LBGA Conferences, and had members recently participate at the 2006 Chicago Gay Games.

The band has primarily been a marching band throughout most of its existence but since 2006 we've stepped out as a concert band or jazz band as well. We are an amateur band serving the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered and straight communities of the area in North Carolina known as the Triangle.

Yearly performances include SC, NC, DC and Atlanta Pride parades, and the NC Gay and Lesbian Film Festival. We've also performed at Drag Bingo events and had holiday performances at local retirement homes and shopping malls. We also hold 1-2 formal concerts each year, usually in the Spring.

Our goals are to:

Bring people together from the Heart of North Carolina -- especially lesbian-gay and transgender people, but also straight people -- who want to perform in a primarily gay band and have fun doing it. We love music and want to share that love with our community.
Build bridges between ourselves as North Carolina band members, between ourselves and other members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender communities, between ourselves and the straight community, and between our band and the national Lesbian and Gay Bands Association known as the (LGBA).
Foster the love of music, which transcends sexual orientation, gender, race, age, and the other differences between people. We believe that there is common ground to be found in the midst of our diversity, and that from that common ground grows great strength. We want to be a foundation upon which strong bridges of unity can be built.