The first Johannesburg, and in fact, South African, Lesbian and Gay Pride March took place on the 10th of October 1990. Organised by GLOW, The Gay and Lesbian Organisation of the Witwatersrand, it began at the University of the Witwatersrand and round it's way through the flatland areas of Braamfontein and Hillbrow under a rainbow of balloons and banners. Primarily billed as a protest march the event had a touch of the carnivalesque. The march quickly established itself as an annual protest event for the South African Lesbian and Gay community.

Since 1994 when the March was officially renamed a Parade, the growth in attendance has been exponential. In 1990, over 800 people and two floats made up the first March. In 1996, more than 10000 people attended with 31 decorated floats vying for media attention!

Recent Pride Parades have been rallying points around which the South African Lesbian and Gay community have expressed their outrage at Robert Mugabe's oppression of Zimbabwe's Gay and Lesbian community, and have demonstrated their visible support for South Africa's groundbreaking Constitution. In addition, one of the main factors in the success of the Parade has been it's inclusiveness: consequently it has enjoyed support from a wide range of cultural, political and recreational organisations.

Past Parades
1990: Unity in the community
1991: Marching for equality
1992: Marching for our rights
1993: Celebrate, act and be
1994: Celebrate unity
1995: Gay by nature, proud by choice
1996: Pride beyond boundaries
1997: African pride
1998: Recognise our relationships
1999: Celebrate for unity
2000: In the name of love