By: Valerie Milano
San Diego, CA (The Hollywood Times) 7/23/24 – The year was 1974 and the gay community in San Diego decided to celebrate their growing community with a parade through the Hillcrest neighborhood. Organizers immediately encountered resistance from the City of San Diego, who refused to issue a permit for the celebrants to hold a Parade.
Defying the ban, the parade was held anyway, and San Diego Pride was born. This past weekend, San Diego’s annual Pride Parade took over the streets of Hillcrest once again, splashing color and joy through the neighborhood and setting the tone for the second and final day of another successful Pride.
Sunday’s events also included a 5k run along on Sunday morning. But the parade was the big attraction and helped the Sunday attendance swell beyond 250,000 celebrants. The Pride Festival has become a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community, a place of love and unity among people in attendance.
The San Diego community kicked off its Pride celebration on July 13 with She-Fest, with workshops, vendors, community organizations, performers, and community-building activities. All aspects of She Fest’s annual event focus on LGBTQ+ women, non-binary people, and people who find community with these identities.
On Wednesday before Pride weekend, Light Up the Cathedral was held, as LGBTQ+ faith leaders and the faithful gathered at St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral in Interfaith celebration of Pride.
On Friday, The Spirit of Stonewall Rally was held to recognize and honor leaders who are working hard to preserve our gains and meet the many challenges still facing our community.
