Danica Roem
San Diego Pride kicks off Pride weekend with the Spirit of Stonewall Rally featuring the first transgender state legislator, Virginia Delegate Danica Roem, as the keynote speaker. The rally honors and recognizes LGBTQ leaders at the forefront of the movement for their activism, leadership, and philanthropy.
Award recipients will be honored at the Spirit of Stonewall Rally on Friday, July 13 at 6 pm at the Hillcrest Pride Flag located at 1500 University Ave.
Pride celebrations everywhere trace their heritage to the Stonewall riots of 1969 when the LGBTQ community fought back against police brutality. That protest has grown to annual events held in over 1000 cities throughout the world. San Diego Pride’s Spirit of Stonewall Rally, first held in 1975, recognizes the leading activists preserving our successes, making critical progress, and addressing challenges that still face the LGBTQ community today.
List of awardees include Community Grand Marshal, Alberto Cortes; Champion of Pride, Tinesia Conwright; Community Service, Liat Wexler; Friend of Pride, Terrie Vorono; Stonewall Philanthropy, SDCCU; and Stonewall Service, We Care Mixer.
The full list of speakers includes Honorable Christine Kehoe; Senate President Pro Tempore Toni Atkins; Assemblymember Todd Gloria; Liat Wexler; Sakeenah Gallardo; Ryland Whittington, and keynote speaker Virginia Delegate Danica Roem.
For more information about the speakers and awardees visit sdpride.org/rally.
The national anthem will be sung by San Diego local Yvonne Gentile, with a special closing performance by the San Diego Pride Youth Marching Band as the Hillcrest Pride Flag is raised.
Invite your friends on Facebook here: www.facebook.com/events/215007289252616
After the rally, guests are encouraged to attend the block party located at the Hillcrest Pride Flag which is free and open to the public.
San Diego Pride raises funds primarily through festival ticket and beverage sales, and through sponsorships, and exhibitor fees. These funds support San Diego Pride’s community philanthropy which has distributed more than $2.5 million in advancement of its mission to foster pride, equality, and respect for all lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities locally, nationally, and globally.
