Earlier this month, New Hampshire became the sixth state to legalize same-sex marriage, though just a few days earlier the California Supreme Court upheld a statewide ban on gay marriage enacted by ballot initiative. The sheer size of this year’s Kalispell celebration, and the relative lack of controversy it has engendered in one of the more conservative pockets of the state, bears testimony to the advances the gay community has made over the last decade, across the state and the country. Over the last five years, the annual Pride Celebration has grown into larger, more organized events in Billings and Helena under the management of the Montana Pride Network. “The goal, from my perspective, is to educate people, to let them see that we’re just like everybody else,” said Boyce, the organizer of this year’s event, adding that she hopes it will also help Montana’s gay community see, “that we aren’t really as discriminated against as we think we are – a lot of it comes more from our perspective than the public’s perspective.” But the Pride celebration set to take place this weekend in Kalispell will be a much grander event, expected to draw several hundred gay Montanans and supporters of gay rights from around the state for three days including dancing, music, a drag show and parade. The goal then, as it is now, was to celebrate and honor Montana’s gay and lesbian community. Dee Boyce recalls the last Pride event held in Kalispell about 10 years ago as a relatively modest affair: Roughly 30 people showed up for a gathering at the park near the old county courthouse building, and a few activities were held at a nearby campground.