NATIONAL ABORTION BAN. WE ARE CELEBRATING PRIDE MONTH IN ALBUQUERQUE HAS ONE OF THE LONGEST RUNNING CELEBRATIONS IN THE US, DATING BACK ALMOST 50 YEARS. IT HASN’T ALWAYS BEEN THE BIG CELEBRATION IT IS TODAY, THOUGH. BYRON MORTON SHOWS US THE STRUGGLES SOME FACED AS THEY WORKED TOWARD EQUALITY. IT’S A DAY FULL OF RAINBOW COLORED CELEBRATIONS WHEN THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE OF ALL BACKGROUNDS COME TOGETHER FOR ONE CENTRAL PURPOSE BE THEIR DREAM IDEAL PERSON THAT HAVE THAT VOICE. IT ALL BEGAN HERE AT MORNINGSIDE PARK 47 YEARS AGO IN 1976, WHEN A SMALL GROUP OF PEOPLE GATHERED TOGETHER TO CELEBRATE DIVERSITY WITHIN THE ALBUQUERQUE COMMUNITY. THIS IS SORT OF OUR SACRED SPACE HERE IN ALBUQUERQUE. THIS HEART, ALBUQUERQUE PRIDE ARCHIVIST DR. PJ CIRILLO GIVES US A GLIMPSE BACK AT WHAT THAT FIRST PRIDE WAS LIKE. 25 BRAVE INDIVIDUALS, INDIVIDUALS IN 1976 HERE IN ALBUQUERQUE WENT STARTING OVER HERE IN MORNINGSIDE PARK AT THE LOCAL CHURCH AT MCKAY. AND AND THERE WAS A BAR CALLED THE HEIGHTS, WHICH ACTUALLY GAVE DONUTS TO THE PEOPLE. AND THEY MARCHED ON. IT WOULD BE ON THE RIGHT SIDE HEADING TOWARDS UNM ON THE SIDEWALK. BUT NOT EVERYONE SUPPORTED THE MOVEMENT. WE FIRST FISH PREPARED AND THERE WERE SOME TENSE TIMES TO WAIT UP OFF THE WATER. YEAH, WE WERE CREATING A DISTURBANCE. DR. CEDILLO REMEMBERS THE STRUGGLES HE FACE. MY FIRST PRIDE. I HAD JUST BECOME AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHER AND I WAS HIDING BEHIND THE BUILDING AND FEARFUL, HIDING FROM THE NEWS AND AND THE FACT THAT I COULD ACTUALLY LOSE MY JOB. THERE WAS NO JOB PROTECTION AT THAT TIME. TODAY, THIS MONUMENT STANDS IN HONOR OF THOSE WHO MARCHED IN 1976. TWO TREES SYMBOLIZE THOSE THAT SET THE ROOTS FIGHTING FOR THE LGBTQ+ MOVEMENT. IN THE PAST, THE BRANCHES DEPICT THOSE CONTINUING THE FIGHT TODAY AND INTO THE FUTURE, CARRYING ON THE TRADITIONS SO THAT PEOPLE KNOW WHAT HAS ACTUALLY HAPPENED IN THE PAST. SO WE DON’T REPEAT IT BECAUSE WE ALL SHOULD HAVE PRIDE IN WHO WE ARE. REPORTING FR