In 1981, just 12 years after the Stonewall Riots, San Diego Pride board member Doug Moore created a list of Pride organizers from around the country, and from that list in 1982 half a dozen Pride organizations met in Boston. In 1983, the second annual Pride Coordinator’s National Conference was held in San Diego as our movement’s activists and organizations made efforts to share strategies, resources, and best practices.
Over the years these early efforts grew into what is now called InterPride, a global organization that connects and uplifts LGBTQ activists and Pride organizers around the world, hosts an annual conference, oversees the World Pride bid, and conducts research on the international Pride movement. In 2020, when Prides as we knew them came to a standstill, InterPride helped bring together organizers from 163 countries to produce the 27-hour virtual Global Pride celebration viewed by over 57 million people. Our staff and volunteers took an incredible leadership role in helping to make that possible.
40 years later, it’s amazing to think about what was accomplished with an idea and a list.
What helps make the San Diego LGBTQ community thrive is that spirit of collective action, as we have learned that for all of our differences, we are stronger as a movement when we work together. In 2003 The Center, and Robert Gleason, created the San Diego LGBT Community Leadership Council where every month more than 40 LGBTQ-serving organizations come together to build relationships and address community issues. In the last several years, newer groups have emerged like the San Diego Black LGBTQ Coalition, San Diego County Latinx Coalition, QAPIMEDA Coalition, DevOUT Interfaith Coalition, LGBTQ Youth Coalition, LGBTQ Survivor Task Force.
I love that we have this culture of coalitions in San Diego as each of these collectives works to bridge individual and organizational capacity in service of the greater good for our movement. Even now our LGBTQ organizations are working in coalition with other regional BIPOC groups to present a unified front on redistricting efforts. We are indeed stronger together.
Just this last year, prior to the shutdown, San Diego Pride hosted our regional Pride conference with 276 people from 45 cities representing over 50 LGBTQ serving organizations. Next weekend, we will present our bid to the international Pride body to host the 2023 InterPride Conference, 40 years since we hosted in 1983. We will know the results of our bid by mid-November. As LGBTQ History Month comes to a close, wish us luck and continue personally investing in solidarity work to keep our movement Resilient.
With Pride,
Fernando Zweifach López
Pronouns: They/Them/Theirs
Executive Director
San Diego Pride
Fernando Lopez is the Executive Director of San Diego Pride. Lopez’s years of LGBT advocacy, nonprofit management, public education, diversity consulting, media relations, guest lectures, and organizing have made them a consistent presence ensuring the struggles of the LGBT community are ever visible.
