Dakota OutRight didn’t appear out of nowhere — it grew from decades of quiet, determined organizing by real people in North Dakota who refused to let their community go unseen.
1984
North Dakota’s first Pride
Fargo celebrated its first recognized gay pride week, with Mayor Jon Lindgren formally signing a decree recognizing the celebration — a small but significant moment for visibility in the Northern Plains.
1999
Equality North Dakota founded
Statewide organizing begins in earnest, campaigning for the inclusion of sexual orientation and gender identity in North Dakota’s civil rights protections.
Late 2003
Dakota Good Friends formed
Dan Tokach, Ron Hildahl, and their friends started Dakota Good Friends in Bismarck — hosting Pride events, dances, and social gatherings to build community where there wasn’t much of one yet.
2004
Dakota OutRight is born
Dakota OutRight emerged from Dakota Good Friends, with Sherri and Vickie Paxon stepping into leading roles. Q-Talk, LGBTQ+ support sessions, and Bismarck Pride became the early heartbeat of the org. Brad Perkins also launched Caring Community Contacts, a support group for HIV+ community members.
2013
Pivot to advocacy and community building
DOR shifted its focus from entertainment to advocacy and deeper community organizing — laying the groundwork for the programs, training, and partnerships that would define the next decade.
2014 – 2017
QTalk & QSpace take shape
Two of DOR’s most beloved programs were born during this stretch. QTalk created space for real, honest community conversation. QSpace gave LGBTQIA2S+ North Dakotans a place to simply exist together — no agenda, just community.
2016
Creating Safe Spaces & the ND LGBTQ+ Summit
Dakota OutRight launched Creating Safe Spaces — a training program helping organizations, schools, and workplaces across North Dakota become more welcoming for LGBTQIA2S+ people. Grant funding arrived to support the work, which also gave rise to the Annual North Dakota LGBTQ+ Summit — a statewide gathering that brought advocates, community members, and allies together around shared goals.
2020 – 2021
Bismarck Non-Discrimination Resolution
In the middle of a pandemic, DOR helped push Bismarck’s City Commission to pass a Non-Discrimination Resolution — a landmark local protection for LGBTQIA2S+ residents. The work was recognized by the Bismarck Human Relations Committee, which awarded DOR its Humanitarian Award.
2025
A new look rooted in North Dakota
After years of holding on to an identity that no longer reflected who DOR had become, the logo got a long-overdue refresh. Out went the outdated palette — in came something that actually felt like us: bold, grounded, unmistakably North Dakotan. The kind of mark you see on a t-shirt at Pride and immediately know.
2026
The bison gets its full colors
The 2025 refresh was just the beginning. In 2026, the logo was updated again — this time to bring in the full bison silhouette and the colors that had been missing, including the stripes that represent our Two Spirit family. Every stripe deliberate. Every color a statement. The bison now carries all of us.
2026
Showing up differently
Capitol City Pride 2026 brought 53 vendors, performers, and community organizations to the Capitol Grounds — but the bigger shift was quieter than that. DOR committed to a new way of being: deeper in the community, more intentional about relationships, willing to sit in the uncomfortable conversations, and absolutely showing up for family. Whatever that takes. However long it takes.