The turbulent stories of our unique perspectives, vulnerable lives and heroic movement are worthy of being preserved and showcased. Visual and performing arts provide for us innovative advocacy and community building palettes where we are empowered to creatively bare out our hearts to find new empathic connections.
Here in the Pride office our halls are filled with works of local LGBTQ artists, as part of our Art of Pride program, which also has a diverse collection in our Art of Pride area at the Festival grounds every year. Our March show is our 3rd annual Pride Youth Art Show, and our youth have selected the theme “Legacy of Liberation: Embracing History” where these talented LGBTQ youth will express how they see themselves connected to the origins of our movement.
Pride’s philanthropy also funds incredible LGBTQ arts and culture organizations and programs telling our stories and bringing community together such as Diversionary Theatre, Moxie Theatre, the Pride Youth Marching Band, and the San Diego Gay Men’s Chorus. This weekend Breakthrough Workshop Theatrewill be presenting “Dear Harvey” which explores the pioneering efforts of civil rights leader Harvey Milk as told by the people who knew him best, and later this year the San Diego Women’s Chorus will premiere Quiet No More: A Choral Celebration of Stonewall which celebrates the importance of the LGBTQ movement that grew out of the Stonewall uprising thanks to funding support from San Diego Pride.
This year we’ll also be bringing you OUT at the Opera and OUT at the Ballet. When done with intention, the use of art, poetry, music, and theater can truly be a revolutionary act. Creating civic and artistic spaces where the LGBTQ community can be comfortably and authentically themselves is a social justice issue. I hope to see you there, as together we honor the art of our collective legacy of liberation.
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.
