Dear Pride Family,
As the year draws to a close, we look back on our historic 50th Anniversary year with joy and pride! We are proud of many ways that San Diego Pride was able to help the community come together. Here are some of our favorite moments of 2024!
1. 2024 marked four huge milestone anniversaries for San Diego Pride: 50 years since the first Pride march, in 1974 (and now the Parade is the largest single-day civic event in San Diego!)
30 years since incorporating as a 501(c)(3) organization, in 1994
20 years since the first Transgender Day of Empowerment, in 2004 (one of our fiscal sponsor programs, led by Tracie Jada O’Brien)
10 years since the first She Fest, in 2014
2.Vote with Pride Campaign 2024
This year, San Diego Pride launched an ambitious campaign to get out the vote. Pride ands its volunteers had thousands of conversations across San Diego County to mobilize nearly 2,000 voters and register 100 voters over 23 events.
3.Coming Out Monologues for National Coming Out Day
For the first time, Pride celebrated National Coming Out Day by hosting the Coming Out Monologues. In collaboration with Diversionary Theatre and Lambda Archives, we shared our coming out stories and reflected on the history of forced outings in San Diego and why civic engagement is more important now then ever.
4. Out At The Fair 2024
Pride loves to make things gay (one might say it is what we do best!), and we are proud to continue our partnership with Out At to do outreach at the San Diego County Fair. Together, we managed to connect with 200+ community members.
5. Entertainment Development Workshops
San Diego Pride, in partnership with Diversionary Theatre, hosted in-person 90-minute workshops to better prepare local artists for bookings locally and regionally. Over 20 LGBTQ+ BIPOC participants learned the basics of submitting an application, as well as tips on how to format and tailor their work for successful bookings and coaching from Diversionary Theatre with artist presentation and breathing techniques.
6. Educators & Library Workers as Community Grand Marshals of the San Diego Pride Parade
This year followed a troubling trend of increasing policy and interpersonal attacks against LGBTQIA+ youth – particularly, trans youth. Many of these attacks followed old playbooks of targeting schools, teachers, and access to inclusive and affirming information in libraries. And on the front lines defending against these attacks are LGBTQIA+ and allied educators and library workers. This year, we were elated to honor these educators and library workers as our 2024 Community Grand Marshals – and they showed up! We grouped these contingents of libraries, educator groups, and schools, and our community grand marshals stretched for almost an entire block on the Parade route.
7. San Diego Pride Founding Leadership Honored as Heroes of Pride
As we celebrated 50 years, San Diego Pride honored our organization’s Founding Leadership that lay the foundations of our organization and movement in San Diego with the 2024 Heroes of Pride Award. Specifically, we highlighted the leaders in those first couple years of San Diego Pride, in 1974 and 1975, the leadership of our 15/20 Committee in 1989, and the leadership that incorporated San Diego Pride as an independent 501(c)(3) organization. These visionary leaders have been integral in our ability to survive, thrive, and continue making history.
8. Espi Ouapou – From Youth Programs to Spirit of Stonewall Rally Stage
2024’s Spirit of Stonewall Rally included our first spoken-word poet – perhaps first-ever! Espi Ouapou, a phenomenal and award-winning poet, performed a stunning poem about identity and liberation from our Rally stage. Just a few years ago, Espi was a regular part of San Diego Pride’s youth programming, and we were absolutely thrilled to invite their powerful presence back into the Pride fold. (Bonus: a photo of them from the Rally is currently hanging in the Pride office as part of our Images of Pride show!)
9. Designation of Hillcrest LGBTQIA+ Cultural District
Alongside the leadership from our close partners, the Hillcrest Business Association, as well as many long-time LGBTQIA+ activists and business owners in Hillcrest, San Diego achieved a historic victory this year with the designation of Hillcrest as an LGBTQIA+ Cultural District. After collecting and providing hours of input and discussion, we are thrilled with the outcome of this designation by the City of San Diego, which we believe will help safeguard Hillcrest as an LGBTQIA+ neighborhood.
10. San Diego Pride Welcomes New Leadership
2024 was a year marked by change. With the support of our amazing team and volunteers we celebrated 50 years of San Diego Pride at the parade, festival and during our year-round programming. As we welcome our new Executive Director, Leane Marchese, we also welcome Marvens Pierre as our new Director of Events and Programs which will continue to take San Diego Pride into our next chapter beyond 50 years.
11. San Diego Pride Parade Broadcast LIVE- For the First Time
For the first time ever, CBS 8 broadcast the entirety of the San Diego Pride Parade LIVE. CBS 8 correspondents Marcella Lee, Carlo
Cecchetto and Evan Noorani hosted the parade from the heart of Hillcrest.
12. OUT at The Park with the San Diego Padres
OUT at the Park was back for another year as we watched the Padres take on the Milwaukee Brewers at Petco Park. Our LGBTQ Military Contingent presented the colors as the San Diego Gay Men’s Chorus, San Diego Women’s Chorus, Padres staff, and San Diego Pride staff participated in the ceremonies.
13. Latine Pride + BIPOC Art Show
This year, San Diego’s Latine Pride took place during Hispanic Heritage Month in our exciting new venue, The Soap Factory! We were thrilled to host our celebration at this special location, which holds a significant place within our Latine community. The Soap Factory has played host to a diverse range of celebrations and important events, and we’re honored to add Latine Pride to its rich history. LGBTQ2S+ BIPOC artists also showcased their work in the San Diego Pride “Embracing Identity Through Art” exhibition. The show not only featured local LGBTQ2S+ artists, it provided a space for artists to share their unique experiences and stories.
14. Art of Pride- Festival Installations
Art of Pride elevated the San Diego Pride Festival space again this year with series of art installations in the event space.
15. Art of Pride Hosts Artist Development Workshops
Art of Pride offered a series of FREE workshops for emerging LGBTQIA+ artists in the beginning stages of their artistic career as a resource to empower and uplift through education. Attendees gained knowledge on topics such as grant writing, mural painting, the business side of being an artist. The workshops created learning space for the San Diego Pride community of artists open to learning and sharing their journey and lived experiences.
16. San Diego Pride Celebrated QTAPI Week
QTAPI Week serves as a bridge between Asian-American and Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander (AA & NHPI) Month in May and National Pride Month in June. This week celebrates the intersectional identities of those who are both LGBTQ and AA & NHPI. Often, the experiences and contributions of these individuals are not fully recognized within either the AA & NHPI or LGBTQ communities. QTAPI Week is dedicated to celebrating our community, uplifting our lived experiences, and building capacity for greater visibility and inclusion. QAPIMEDA hosted a series of events to celebrate and uplift the community
17. Youth Leadership Academy
Middle and high school-aged youth interested in learning, growing, and connecting with others in the LGBTQIA+ community joined us again this year for Youth Leadership Academy (YLA). This year participants enjoyed a transformative one-day workshop designed to empower and educate LGBTQ+ youth, their parents, caregivers, and educators. Through engaging discussions, outdoor activities, and team-building exercises, participants will gain valuable knowledge on LGBT history, youth advocacy, higher education, and civic engagement.
18. Disabled 2SLGBTQIA+ Coalition at the San Diego Pride Parade for the First Time
The Disabled 2SLGBTQIA+ Coalition joined the Pride Parade for the first time this year! Members gathered before to create signs and express their Disabled Pride! The Coalition has been involved in training opportunities and group volunteering throughout the year as well! Click here to learn more about the Disabled 2SLGBTQIA+ Coalition!
19. San Diego Pride Allstar Volunteers
Over 2,000 day-of volunteers and 100 lead volunteers made our Pride Week events and year-round programming a success! Volunteers are always the highlight of any event and are the foundation of our community! Thank you volunteers for an amazing year, and here’s to a new year full of more important work! Learn more about volunteering here.
20. Our Most Successful and Accessible GiveOUT Day Campaign to Date
As one of the most accessible Pride celebrations in the world, San Diego Pride holds Disability Justice as one of our guiding Pillars of Justice, reflecting our deep commitment to equity and inclusion. Accessibility is one of the most important aspects of Pride, as well as one of the most cost-intensive. This year’s GiveOUT Day campaign was our most successful GiveOUT fundraising campaign we’ve ever had – raising over $40,000 for San Diego Pride’s Accessibility programming including ASL interpretation, mobility infrastructure (mobility devices, ADA ramps, etc.), clear signage, sensory rest areas and more at our flagship Pride Week events, as well as throughout our year-round programs and events. This was possible thanks to the contributions of our generous community as well as the support of matching grants from Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Duane Morris LLP, and Pride’s Accessibility Partner and Champion: Options for All.
21. Community Building Workshops
Our volunteer leaders and community members gathered monthly to build their skills and prepare for Pride! We covered topics from Emergency Preparedness to Accessibility to Trans Inclusion, and provided a space for our community to connect and plan for our events. We hope you can join us next year for our Community Building Workshops!
22. Continuing San Diego Pride’s Legacy as the Most Philanthropic Pride
As a community-based organization committed to fostering pride, equality, and respect for LGBTQIA+ communities locally, nationally, and globally, we are proud to root our work in a culture of abundance! It is thanks to the incredible outpouring of support, time and resources from our community that we continue to stand as the most philanthropic Pride organization in the world. In partnership with a diverse array of LGBTQIA+-serving programs around the world, we work toward a shared vision of a world free from prejudice and bias—that celebrates the broad spectrum of our LGBTQIA+ communities by advancing intersectional movements, reflected by our Pillars of Justice. This year’s Community Grants program proudly awarded more than $100,000 to impactful LGBTQIA+-serving programs, with the majority of funding going back to organizations local to San Diego County, and funding distributed across the country and the world. International grantees notably included organizations in East Africa, South America, Malaysia, Turkey, Mexico, and our first-ever grant awarded to the Caribbean! Learn more and support our grantees here.
23. The Pride 5 K
The Pride 5K, presented by Front Runners & Walkers San Diego, kicks off the Pride Parade each year with a vibrant blend of fun, fitness, and philanthropy. 2024’s 5K broke records with over 2,400 participants and $65,000 raised to support local LGBTQIA+ youth, benefiting San Diego Pride’s Youth Programs and the San Diego LGBT Community Center’s Youth Housing Project!
19. Artist Mural at San Diego Pride Office
Art of Pride, a program of San Diego Pride, was excited to announce an upcoming mural on the San Diego Pride building, a vibrant, powerful tribute to our LGBTQIA+ community. This mural, designed and painted by talented local queer artists, will celebrate the resilience, diversity, and strength of our community. To bring this vision to life, we are seeking community donations to raise $3,000 to cover essential project costs. Your donation, no matter the amount, will help us reach our goal and create a lasting symbol of Pride for all to enjoy! All donors’ names will be included on the commemorative plaque to be displayed on the San Diego Pride building to showcase the community coming together to support queer art! Make a year-end tax-deductible donation at this link.
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.
