Dear Pride Family,
For years anti-LGBTQ extremists have been targeting transgender youth. So far this year, 39 of the 326 anti-LGBTQ bills entered into legislative bodies are transgender sports bans. San Diegans have historically been leaders in combating transphobia, homophobia, and HIV stigma in athletic spaces. Billie Jean King, Billy Bean, Renée Richards, Liz Carmouche, Greg Louganis, and many other high-profile LGBTQ athletes have San Diego roots.
San Diego has a long history as a thriving community for LGBTQ adults interested in sports with groups like America’s Finest City Softball League who’ve been longtime partners for OUT at the Park, Front Runners & Walkers who donate proceeds from the Pride 5K back to Pride’s community grant program and the Sunburst Youth Housing Project, and 19 other local LGBTQ sports groups. Many of them can be found recruiting every year at the Pride Festival in the Athletes Alley area where attendees can relax, play lawn games, connect with the members, and sign up to join a team.
What started in the 80s with just a handful of LGBTQ Padres fans sitting together and bravely waving rainbow flags has grown into a genuine partnership with our annual OUT at Park where this year we’re anticipating 8,000 of us! Together we approach every aspect of the event with our LGBTQ community at the center, from the first pitch to the color guard, the national anthem singers, DJs, the marching band, and gender-neutral restrooms. Wait until you see this year’s hat that comes with your ticket!
Our region’s professional sports teams have come to embrace and uplift the LGBTQ community as we have had partnerships with San Diego’s Gulls, Legion, Wave FC, and Loyal SC! In fact, in 2020, the entire San Diego Loyal Soccer Club walked off the field forfeiting their game after their openly gay player, Collin Martin, was subjected to an anti-gay slur, and no action was taken against the offending player. We’ve got some exciting announcements regarding these partnerships coming later this year.
Whether it’s professional sports leagues, LGBTQ recreational groups, shifting school policy, our local YMCA defending transgender members, or transgender athletes and activists like San Diegans Paulo Batista and Sam Moehlig, each and every way we combat discrimination in athletics are important. All of this helps shift false narratives about our community, so we can build a society where all of us can Thrive!
With Pride,
Fernando Z. 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.
