OBX Pride Records, ORG.5348

[identification of item], ORG.5348, OBX Pride Records, Outer Banks History Center, Manteo, NC, U.S.A.

The OBX Pride Records, 2009-2022, were collected by OBX cofounder and treasurer, David Miller. The collection is arranged into three series: TheGayOBX.com, 2009-2010; OBX Pridefest, 2011-2021; and Other Records, 2010-2022. The bulk of the material in the collection consists of records related to the annual OBX Pridefest event, including financial records, advertising materials and publicity, sponsorship data, contracts, and files created by the group's board of directors. OBX Pride rarely took official minutes at board meetings, but included in the collection are Miller's notes from the group's board meetings, which document the topics discussed and the actions proposed. Included is a box of realia (artifacts) associated with OBX Pridefest, including wristbands and souvenirs, as well as numerous issues of LGBTQ+ magazines and local publications that feature advertisements for the festival or articles about OBX Pride. Of note in the collection are Miller's computer files, which consist of photographs taken at OBX Pridefest and other events over the course of the group's existence, planning documents, and an archive of the OBX Pride treasurer's email account dating back to the group's formation.

This collection is arranged into three series: TheGayOBX.com, 2009-2010; OBX Pridefest, 2011-2021; and Other Records, 2010-2022. Folders are arranged alphabetically within each series. Most material within each folder is arranged chronologically. Original order has been retained for digital files.

OBX Pride has its origins in a website, TheGayOBX.com, which was founded in 2009 to advertise and promote LGBTQ-friendly events, businesses, and locations on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. The website operated until 2012. Interest in the website soon spawned the formation of a nonprofit entity, OBX Pride Inc. In 2011, the group planned a major Pride festival, the first of its kind on the Outer Banks, called OBX Pridefest. The event took place over the course of a weekend and featured live music performances, a sunset booze cruise, beach parties, drag shows, and a daylong festival at the First Colony Inn in Nags Head. Following the success of the first year, OBX Pridefest became an annual event, and it has been held every year since 2011 with the exception of 2020, when the event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to organizing the annual Pridefest, OBX Pride also serves as a fundraising entity that supports causes such as HIV/AIDS prevention, scholarships for LGBTQIA students, and other causes associated with the LGBTQ+ community. As of 2022, the organization is still active.

1. TheGayOBX.com, 2009-2010

2. OBX Pridefest, 2011-2021

3. Other Records, 2010-2019

Donated by David Miller on behalf of OBX Pride, June 2022.