On October 11, 1987, Madison residents Pam Jacobson and Tim O'Brien were separately attending the Second National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights, greatly inspired by the presence of the more than 500,000 people assembled on the national Mall. Upon returning to Madison, Jacobson explored the possibility of organizing a local march, and began searching for others to help organize the event. At the same time, O'Brien was also discussing the idea of organizing a march. Mutual friends connected O'Brien and Jacobsen, and their meeting resulted in the formation of the Madison Pride March Committee.